Cell
by Mobeanz
Summary: It’s a race against time as Jack and Kate struggle to right the wrongs that have been happening ever since this stranger arrived on the island. None of it makes sense as to how she knows them all so well. She knows about Kate’s past, Jack’s exwife, Sawyer
1. Chapter 1: Reaquaintence

Water lapped the shore as the blood red sun began to sink below the crystal shimmers on the surface of the ocean. The jungle, a mass of tangled vines and trees tightly woven together as though by a thread, was darkening and all sounds of life were quieting. Sand stirred about as many feet moved away from the beach and through the dark tangles of woods.

A solitary fire sat on the beach, burning low yet giving off just enough light to illuminate the dirty face of a handsome man sitting with his head hanging. His eyes were closed but he was awake, listening hard. He didn't know why he was listening, by himself on this beach, but the peace was soothing. It kept his mind from running amuck, which it had been doing a lot for the past two months. His face gave the impression that it had once looked young and spry, yet now it looked lined and worn, as though having endured a hard battle that was still raging.

The fire began to simmer to embers and only when a fine mist sprayed him did he looked up. Gazing all around, he didn't see anyone nearby. The fire was almost completely out, and he stoked it enough to light the end of his torch. Then, standing, he kicked dirt over the small pile of twigs to ensure it was out, and turned to walk away.

One hundred yards down the beach, someone fell to their knees and let out a scream.

"What was that?"

Kate sat bolt right up in the place where she slept right at the entrance to the cave. She had been dozing, something she had been trying to hold off until Jack would return from the beach. Nearby, Hurley turned over in his sleep.

She listened. It had definitely been some kind of a yell. But it didn't sound like it came from a man. It had sounded almost…could she be wrong…drunk?

The scream echoed again and this time she was up and running. The small path they had beaten down by their many trips back from the beach was easy to follow, but it was tight and she ended up scratching her arms on branches and stumbling over roots. Her heart was racing. Was it possible someone was hurt? What if Jack was hurt too?

She came out onto the empty beach and stared around. It was almost too dark to see. If not for the sliver of the moon, it would have been pitch black. The ripples of the waves crashing into the rocks were vastly contrasted against the dark sky. Kate walked forward a few steps.

"Jack?" she shouted, only the ocean answering with the waves.

Turning, she walked right into someone who stood, hair dripping over their bare shoulders, staring up at her. Kate screamed.

"Kate!" Jack came scrambling up behind her, grabbing Kate's arm and yanking her backwards, away from the drenched girl.

"Who is that?" Kate shrieked, stumbling and trying to hide behind Jack.

"I don't know," Jack whispered.

He stepped forward, the torch in his hand. He could better see her, and he realized she couldn't be much older than twenty. Her shoulder was bleeding badly and looked infected. Her hair was dark, long to her shoulders and was still dripping. She wore only a thin white gown that was sticking to her body and ripped at the hip and at the bottom. She was shoeless, and her feet were cut up badly. Her face was what mesmerized Jack. It was round and he knew that at one point it was probably even cute. But now there were dark circles around her eyes and her face looked sunken in. A long gash ran from her jaw to her collarbone. Her dark eyes stared up at them hollowly.

"Who are you?" Jack said quietly to her, peering close to her face.

The scream that came from the girl was unearthly, something Jack and Kate wished they'd never have to hear again. John Locke, who had been in a deep sleep almost a mile away, awoke with a start to the scream and clutches his hunting knife as he took off towards the source of the sound. Hurley jumped and stared around the cave worriedly.

But Kate was the only person who covered her ears.

"STOP!" she screamed.

The girl didn't stop, instead she turned and took off running down the beach. Kate watched her go, expecting the girl to turn sharply to hide in the cover of the jungle. Instead this soaked girl ran straight towards the ocean, her feet splashing as she reached the edge of the sand and both Kate and Jack watched as she tumbled back into the water.

"Jesus," Jack sprinted towards the water, Kate hot on his heels. Locke emerged from the edge of the jungle and hurried towards Jack.

"Who is this?" Locke demanded of Kate as she stood back while Jack gripped the girl, who was still screaming, and tried to drag her towards the sand.

"Help me!" Jack shouted at Locke.

The girl was flailing and screaming, trying desperately to get back into the water. Her thin gown was coming undone and Kate was mentally pleading with the girl to faint or even die.

Jack and Locke were able to get the girl back to the sand. She had stopped screaming and was now flailing as they tried to hold her down.

"Alright," Locke said angrily, before using the handle of his knife to hit her hard on the head.

She ceased moving immediately, going limp on the wet sand.

"JOHN!" Kate shouted, hurrying over.

"She wouldn't have let us help her," Locke said sensibly, lifting the tiny girl in his arms. "Let's get her back to the caves and bind her so she can't run again."

"How did she get here?" Jack asked as they followed Locke towards the woods.

"I don't know," Kate muttered.

Sayid saw Locke coming through the trees and could not figure out for the first few moments what was in his arms. Then, as he cleared the trees and came into the fire's light, he stood.

"What is this?" Sayid demanded as Locke set the girl down gently on the ground.

"We found her on the beach," Jack explained, rushing towards his sleeping quarters to grab his leather pack. Kate only just now noticed how worn it looked. It had been brand new when they'd crashed. She pushed this from her mind.

"What? Do you think she's…"

"No. We know who all the Others are now. She's probably…"

"What's going on?"

Claire came quietly from the back of the cave, her baby swaddled in her arms. Charlie wasn't far behind. Even though she wasn't speaking to Charlie, he was never far off.

"We'll explain later. For now we have to figure out what to do with her," Jack said, dousing the large wound on the girl's shoulder with a large amount of peroxide. Everyone grimaced, glad that the girl was asleep for that.

Quickly, Locke bound the girls hands to one of the stakes in the ground holding the tarps up. Next, he moved all of the nearby rocks and wood away from her and then sat back.

"She's waking up."

Slowly, the girl's eyes were flickering. Kate suddenly got a whiff of something very strong.

"Jack," Kate whispered hurriedly.

"Sshh!"

"JACK! I think she's drunk."

Jack and Locke both looked at Kate with wide eyes.

She slowly opened her eyes, looking around wildly. Her hair was still wet, now matted to her head. Twigs and leaves stuck to her wet nightgown. Kate suddenly wondered if the girl was freezing.

"Who are you?" Jack asked the girl quietly. She remained lying down, gazing around at them as they looked over her.

"She's badly injured," Sayid said quietly.

Slowly the girl sat up, her eyes still wide gazing around. They all took one step back as she suddenly looked down and sat her hands bound to the stake beside her.

"Untie me," was all she said, her dark eyes gazing down towards her wrists.

"First tell us who you are," Jack demanded, although he never raised his voice above a whisper. Many of the survivors had gathered now and were watching with curiosity.

"Who am I?" the girl laughed a laugh that made shivers run down Kate's spine. "Maybe I should ask you that since you have so kindly tied me up."

"You were trying to hurt yourself. You appeared on the beach and tried to run back into the water," Locke explained from beside Jack. Both of their faces were stony.

Looking around, the girl felt herself panicking. She was used to getting panic attacks but nothing like the one she felt coming on. Her breath came in short gasps as she looked around.

"She's panicking," Jack said quickly, hurrying forward. "Calm down. Calm down, please. What's your name?"

But she wasn't calming down. Her breathing was even more labored now and she started to struggle.

"Where's my mother?" she demanded in short gasps. She wrenched her wrists hard and cried out at the burns the ropes made on her skin. "Let me go! Please! Don't do it to me again!"

Jack and Locke exchanged a look.

"Do what?" Jack stepped forward.

"Jack," Kate whispered. She pointed down at the girl's nightgown. There was blood soaked into the front of it. It was fresh.

"I need everyone to clear out!" Jack stood, putting his back to the girl who was now trying with all her might to untie the binds. She was barely breathing, gasping in and out without making much effort to speak. The rest of the survivors backed away and disappeared to their own quarters. Only Kate, Sayid, Jack, and Locke remained.

"What's your name?" Jack asked the girl again. She continued to struggle, her hair flying as she ripped at the ropes. Her wrists were beginning to bleed.

"LET ME GO!" she screamed, kicking now. Jack and Locke backed away.

"PLEASE! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

"What in god's name is going on here?"

Sawyer stood at the entrance to the path, looking down at the girl. He wore nothing but his jeans, his bare chest gleaming with sweat from the humidity. Jack only noticed the silence when he turned back to the girl.

She had gone completely motionless and silent. Her eyes were locked on Sawyer, her breathing suddenly back to normal. Her eyes were wide and shocked, her mouth open in awe.

"Who the hell is that?" Sawyer demanded, stepping into the small circle where they were crouched around this girl. "And what the hell…"

"We found her on the beach. She…"

"You."

They all turned to face the girl. She had somehow gotten her wrists undone and was standing, facing only Sawyer with her eyes locked on him. He looked skeptical.

"Me?" Sawyer said in his southern drawl. "Darlin, you don't know me."

"Yes I do," she stepped forward, her wet nightgown still dripping. Blood was spreading on the front of it. "You…"

"Maybe we should tie her up again," Sayid suggested from beside Kate, whose eyes were fixed on the girl.

"You don't remember me," the girl was standing right in front of Sawyer. She was no taller than five foot and her head barely grazed his chin. She looked straight up at him, her head craned. "But I remember you."

"Is this some kind of duet we're supposed to be singin'?" Sawyer asked. "Who are you?"

"I'm Mary," and the girl gave a terrible, horrible smile that made Jack's stomach squirm. "And you killed my brother."

Sawyer never saw the punch coming as it hit him in the jaw from below. It was a low hit, knocking his teeth together painfully. He stumbled back, not seeing for a moment. Then he opened his eyes and saw the girl cradling her fist, her eyes burning into him.

"YOU BASTARD!"

She launched herself at Sawyer, reaching out with her hands and trying to hit him everywhere possible. The girl was probably a quarter his size but her attack was so sudden all Sawyer could do was yell and try to push her away. Jack and Locke ran forward and seized her by the arms, dragging her back.

"You killed him!" she shouted, tears now streaming down her face. "You…you…"

"I didn't kill anybody," Sawyer was still massaging his jaw. "That little brat is in for a …"

"You set him up. You were friends with him and you set him up!"

Sawyer stared at her, his insides burning horribly. This girl, or Mary as she had called herself, was now staring at him with so much hatred it was impossible to look back at her. Locke and Jack held her arms tightly, but she did not struggle. Tears poured down her face as she stared at him.

"James Morrison. He was your colleague, was he not….Mr. Sawyer?"


	2. Chapter 2: Reality

A dinky diner sitting on the side of an abandoned dusty road, the sign blinking as one of the letters hung off woefully, as though pleading to be fixed. Only three cars sat in the empty parking lot, which was just a dirt plot outside some tall weeds and a few kilometers from a river that ran through the hills. A silver Mercedes pulled up beside one of the three cars in the lot and shut off.

The door to the diner swung open and heavy boots stepped in, dust falling from them. Only two people were in this diner. One was an old man slowly eating a tuna sandwich at a window in the back. The other was a nicely dressed businessman in a blue leisure suit, although it looked worn and aged.

"Good afternoon Mr. Sawyer," said the man in a heavy Australian accent as Sawyer sat down, removing his sunglasses. "You're late."

"Sorry, traffic was bad," snapped Sawyer. His clean-cut appearance greatly contrasted the hatred in his eyes. "I only came because I heard what you're doin' and I advise you to…"

"I doubt you should be advising anyone, Mr. Sawyer," said the man, his blue eyes twinkling over the table. A young waitress came around and put a tea down in front of the businessman. Sawyer waved her away impolitely and she hurried off, looking hurt.

"Did you get the money or not?" asked the man, sipping his tea. Somehow, Sawyer felt something was wrong.

"Where's James?" Sawyer said, turning in his seat. The old man remained in his chair by the window and the young waitress was talking in a low voice to the middle aged man at the counter. "Why isn't he here?"

"You should have known your good friend James wouldn't like our business," the man's eyes gleamed. "He's not the type.

"If you hurt him…"

"Don't worry, Mr. Sawyer. No one has died…yet."

"LET GO OF ME!"

Mary wrenched her arms away from Jack and Locke's grips and for a moment Sawyer prepared himself for another attack. Surprisingly, she went right past him, sprinting off through the jungle.

The three men took off, Kate tight on their heels. Sawyer could see her just ahead, her gown fluttering behind her, easily seen among the dark green and blackness of the trees. Sawyer was following her, barely looking down since it was so pitch dark. When he felt sand beneath his feet, he picked up speed and reached her just as she hit the shore.

"NO!" she shouted, trying to pull away from him but he didn't let go, instead seizing her other arm. "LET ME GO! MOM! MOM!"

She was facing the water, screaming with all her might for her mother. Kate had stopped running at the edge of the forest, just watching as Jack and Locke helped Sawyer pull her away from the ocean.

The girl known as Mary stopped struggling. Instead she stood and cried, almost like a child but it would have been embarrassing if it didn't look so painful. She crumbled and since Sawyer had been holding her arms, she fell right into him. Sawyer stumbled and fell to his knees on the sand.

"My mother…"

"What happened to you?" Jack bent down beside Sawyer, who had let go of her and was looking repulsed that she was now crying into his chest. "Mary…"

Slowly Mary looked up at Jack with wide, red brimmed eyes.

"I can't remember."

Slowly Kate walked Mary back to the caves, waiting at any moment for her to go beserk again and start running towards the water. She seemed to have calmed down and let Kate bring her to her sleeping quarters to give her something dry to wear.

"We have to find out where she came from. If she was shipwrecked…if there's a ship or other people on this island…" Jack began to say.

"That's not possible. This island is closely surrounded by rocks. No boat could get even close without running aground at least a mile out. And if they did, we'd have seen them coming because the current is running South," Locke said sensibly.

"Perhaps she fell overboard?" Sayid suggested, crossing his arms.

"If she did, she swam a long way," Jack sighed.

"Or floated," Locke looked seriously at them. "She doesn't look strong enough to swim in a kiddy pool. I think she was drugged, or even drunk and floated here on a current. She's lucky she didn't drown."

"How was she not dashed to death on the rocks?" asked Sayid.

"That…we have to find out," Jack looked over as Kate handed the girl some clothes. "She probably went through something traumatic. I'm guessing her mother was with her wherever she was. I have a feeling she's dead."

"We can't tell her that. We need to go along with her delusions until she gets her memory back. It should come back slowly," John Locke slowly breathed out. "Only…"

"What?" Sayid looked confused. "John? What?"

"Claire never remembered what happened to her when she was gone for that week. Flashes have come back, bits and pieces but we'll never know what happened to her. It was too traumatic. Sometimes…it never comes back."

Jack shook his head.

"Well, we can't do much now while she's drugged…or drunk or whatever she is. By morning she'll be saner, and maybe we can question her. She only looks about seventeen, possibly eighteen. But that doesn't mean she's not dangerous. She's not to know about any medical supplies, guns, or any weapons we have on this island. Tell her we don't have much, if she does ask, which I don't think she will," Jack looked over. Kate was now trying to calm the girl down enough to lie down on Kate's bed.

"Well," Sawyer piped in. He had been standing just beyond their range of sight but had heard it all. "When the little mermaid does come around, we can straighten her out about me."

"She seems to think you killed her brother," Jack said firmly, looking at Sawyer skeptically.

"And…doc?" Sawyer crossed his arms. "Oh yeah, right. She came to find me…knew I was here, right? You're all as screwy as her."

Giving them a rude gesture, Sawyer walked back into the darkness of the jungle, back to his beach tent.

"She's asleep," Kate appeared at Jack's side, startling him. Sayid and John headed away, deep in conversation. "Jack, I don't like this."

"Either do I but we can't just toss her back in. She's just a girl…"

"No. She's saying things, strange things. About guns, and a man hurting her. She keeps asking for her mother and says she's in room B78. For some reason, I think she might have been on some kind of cruise."

"How does someone fall off a cruise ship?" Jack questioned, not meaning to sound cynical. "That like…never happens."

"She's small. It'd be easy for someone to just…"

"Throw her overboard?"

They turned and saw Hurley standing a few feet beyond, just beyond where the fire from one of the torches reached.

"Dude…what if she has…like some kind of tropical disease that's making her all crazy," Hurley looked worriedly towards the form under the blanket.

"She doesn't," Jack assured Hurley, who didn't look heartened but rather more worried. "She's just traumatized. We all were when we first got here."

"Um…we weren't throwing ourselves into the ocean though," Hurley said quietly before heading off.

"In the morning, we need to go around and make sure everyone knows she's here so no one starts questioning her," Jack said quietly to Kate as they started towards where he slept. "Then we use Sayid and interrogate her."

"She's not a criminal," Kate defended a bit harshly. "We don't need an army interrogator."

"We might if she's hiding something."

Kate sighed and looked away. Jack watched Kate for a moment.

"She's in your bed so if you want to find some room…"

"I'm actually good for now. I slept a bit this afternoon. I think I'm gonna go check the beach, see if there's any clues as to how she got here."

Jack nodded, trying to hide his hurt. She gave him a smile and headed off, disappearing into the darkness. Jack sighed, leaning back and was asleep within moments.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN STRANDED?"

Jack was torn away from a quite pleasant dream about hamburgers and chocolate by a shout probably only a few feet away. He jumped up, frightened to see a great amount of people standing around where he slept, but even more surprised to see the sun was high in the sky.

The girl known as Mary was standing at the opening of the cave beside John, who looked like he was trying to help her. But Charlie and Hurley were standing before her and Jack cringed, knowing what they had been doing.

"Our plane crashed. We're stuck…"

"STUCK?" screamed the girl. "WE CAN'T BE STUCK!"

"Mary, please…"

"Why is everyone calling me Mary?" she snapped at John, who looked confused. "That's my MOTHER'S name."

Everyone was silent. Jack came to the face of the cave and Hurley and Charlie immediately backed up.

"Guys, can we just have some room for her?" asked Jack politely, still barely awake.

"Everyone's worried. Not everyone has met her and what they heard last night…" Charlie looked concerned. "It's not good, mate."

"I know. But we can't get any information with you scaring the crap out of her," Jack insisted. "Now please. Try to keep everyone away from here today."

Charlie and Hurley exchanged a glance before tromping back through the jungle towards the beach. For a moment the girl, previously known as Mary stood looking confused and then started walking away.

"Hey!" they hurried after her. "Wait!"

"I don't know you people. I don't know where you've taken me but this is illegal," she said harshly, though her voice was shaking.

"What's your real name?" John asked her, keeping in stride with her short legs easily.

"Satine," she stopped walking and John almost walked into her. "And you?"

"John."

"Jack."

"Sayid."

She looked around at them curiously and then nodded.

"Well at least I'll know your names for the police report," she said, before starting off again.

"Stop," Jack said, but when she didn't he grabbed her arm. "STOP."

She spun to face him and suddenly stopped, her eyes wide as she stared at him. John and Sayid looked at each other and then at her.

"Jack," said Satine quietly.

"Listen. Something has happened to you. You were either shipwrecked, or thrown overboard but we need you to calm down and come with us so we can find out what happened. Everything we've been telling you is true," Jack was speaking simply and carefully to her, as though she spoke another language. "But you've forgotten everything because of the trauma you've been through."

"I haven't been through trauma," she ripped her hand away from him. "I was with my mother. We were just…"

"You were what?" John asked carefully. Sayid looked around nervously.

"I…don't remember," she shook her head.

"Come with us. Please," Jack pleaded. She looked terrified, horrified even at the prospect of going with these strangers. But she seemed to oblige and walked ahead of them back the way they came.

They got her to sit down on a rock and Sayid sat in front of her, staring straight at her. John and Jack stood behind Satine, looking carefully at her.

"What is the last thing you remember?" Sayid said firmly, his eyes not moving from her face.

"The beach," she said quietly.

"Anything before that?" Sayid said quickly, not giving her any time.

"Um…just things from a while ago. Like…my birthday party. We had a huge party and then my mom and I went on vacation," she said carefully.

"Where?"

She had no answer. She looked frustrated so Sayid nodded.

"Tell me about your mother."

"She's…well her name is Mary. I don't know how you guys knew that though."

"You told us your name was Mary last night. You went up to Sawyer and told him he killed your brother," Jack said from behind her.

Her jaw dropped and she stared at Jack.

"I…I don't remember that," she looked down.

"What is the last thing you remember before the beach," Sayid asked.

Satine closed her eyes and for a moment they thought she'd lapsed into some kind of unconsciousness but only when she spoke, keeping her eyes closed did they know she hadn't.

"My mother had a surprise. I remember being in the car and her covering my eyes. Then…the beach," she said, opening her eyes again. "What does it mean?"

"It means your subconscious has blocked out a traumatic memory. It may or may not come back. But we need to know if your mother might have surprised you with…a boat ride? Maybe a cruise?" Locke said from behind her. She twisted to face him. "It's important."

"How long have you guys been here?" she asked.

"About four months," Sayid answered her.

"My mother would never take me on a cruise," she resorted right back to the previous question. "I'm terrified of the water. I…I don't even swim in pools."

"You swam…probably a few miles from wherever you were left off," Jack came around and stood behind Sayid. "And we think you were intoxicated."

"I'm not even old enough to drink," she said. She looked near tears now. "I…I don't know how I got here. Honestly. I'm really sore and…I'm confused right now."

She began to cry and the three men exchanged looks. Suddenly Sayid looked at Locke, who nodded.

"Wait…Sayid…" Jack tried.

Sayid seized the girls shoulders and looked hard at her, shaking her to make her look up through her tears. She immediately stopping crying and stared at Sayid in shock.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?" demanded Sayid firmly, not letting go of her. Her face remained stone shocked, her eyes wide. His face was barely an inch from hers. "WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?"

"Sayid…" Jack went to step forward and Locke pulled him back.

"I…" the girl stuttered. "I…"

"TELL US…"

"SAYID!" Jack shouted.

"YOU KILLED HER! YOU KILLED SHANNON!"

Sayid dropped the girl like she was on fire. Satine fell back a bit and stumbled against the rock she'd been sitting on before taking off through the jungle, her sobs echoing loud.

None of them spoke, none of them even sure of what they'd heard.

"What was that all about?" Jack demanded of Sayid, who was staring off after the girl with eyes that looked terrified.

"There is something about that girl…" Sayid whispered, before turning and heading off into the jungle.


	3. Chapter 3: Word of Mouth

"James."

A young man of no older than thirty turned around. He had been buying cigarettes at a drug store, and had one propped in the corner of his mouth when he turned.

"Sawyer?" said James, paying and walking over to where Sawyer stood in the doorway. "What are you doing here?"

Looking around, Sawyer saw there were several people in the store, browsing. He pulled James out the door into the scorching sun. They were only about one hundred kilometers up the road from the dinky diner Sawyer had met that businessman in no longer than a week ago.

"Sawyer?" there was now fear in Jame's voice as Sawyer pulled him towards the silver Mercedes.

"Just get in and shut up."

James sat in the passenger seat and looked worriedly over as Sawyer got in. Without even looking, he took off down the dirt road, picking up speed as they went.

"What are you…slow down!" James shouted.

"I'm taking you to the bus station," Sawyer was sweating profusely. "I want you to take the first bus to Sydney."

"What?" James looked confused. "Sawyer, what is this…"

"It's Mayney," Sawyer tried to keep his hands from shaking as he turned onto another road. "She's dead."

"What?" James looked out the window at the desert passing by on each side. "No. Are you drunk?"

"I'm not lying. I know it…it's bad but if you don't leave you'll end up like her," Sawyer couldn't believe what he was doing. All he'd have to do was turn the car around and drive about two hours in the opposite direction and he'd have half a million American dollars guaranteed in his pocket by that afternoon.

"She…my..my wife," James began to cry.

"DAMN IT JAMES!" Sawyer sped into a bus depot where many other cars were parked.

Satine stopped running and looked around. She was somewhere in the jungle, yet she had absolutely no idea how far she'd run. These strangers were interrogating her, and that Arab man had shaken her. Her head ached from the heat blasting down like a furnace from the sun. Her shoulder ached, as the wound remained opened. Jack, the handsome doctor, had promised he'd stitch it if she would just sit still.

But who were these people? How did she get here? She had no idea and it terrified her to imagine that maybe her mother was stuck on this island too, somewhere in the wilderness. Her mother wasn't well, she couldn't handle something like that. Letting out a tiny sob, Satine pushed forward.

She reached the beach and the cool mist of the ocean was refreshing. Looking up and down, she knew they hadn't been lying about being here a while. People had set up tents up and down the beach. Old fire pits sat every few yards up and down the shore. Clothing hung on vines strung across branches on the edge of the jungle.

The nearest tent was the most crowded but not with people. Suitcases of all kinds were piled behind the tarp. They all seemed to be bursting and as the wind flapped the blue material around, she saw him.

Was this the man she's accused of killing her mother's brother? She didn't know how they knew that her uncle had been murdered, but why had she accused him? She didn't even know who had murdered him, let alone what he looked like.

Sawyer threw aside the old magazine he'd been grazing through. There were only about ten magazines salvaged from the wreck and half of them were plane magazines. He'd read them all through and through, and was getting tired of reading the same three novels he'd found over and over again.

Satine came around the tarp and looked at all the stuff surrounding Sawyer as he sat on his homemade beach chair in the shade.

"If you're here to throw another punch, forget it because I'm not afraid to knock you back into the water," Sawyer said angrily through gritted teeth.

"I'm not going to start a fight," Satine said quietly.

Sawyer looked skeptical. Was this girl for real?

"What do you want then because you're obstructing my view."

"A view you've been looking at for four months?" asked Satine.

Sighing, Sawyer looked around. Farther down the beach Sayid was talking to Claire, Charlie, and Hurley. Down the other end, several people were fishing. He wished someone would come to distract this psycho.

"I don't know how I know you, but I do," she said, looking hard at him. Sawyer wanted to laugh at her. She wore one of Kate's tank tops and a pair of jeans that just about fit but were loose around the waist and she kept hitching them up. Her hair was dry now, but it hung in lanky curls around her face. She looked like some lost kid in a movie.

"Sweet, kid, and it touches me that you're so amazed by me but I'd rather not make cheap conversation, okay?" Sawyer stood, walking around the back of his tent to get some water.

Satine looked down and saw the book sitting on the suitcase in front of her. She bent to touch it.

"HEY HEY sticky fingers!" Sawyer came launching back, snatching the book from her hands. "Hands off! Rule number one on happy island, no one touches my stuff!"

"All this stuff is yours?" she asked, seemingly not fazed by his outburst.

"Yes. I found it, it's mine," he sat back down. "Now if you don't mind?"

"I'm Satine by the way," she said, holding out a hand.

Sawyer didn't move, didn't even look at her hand. He was staring out to sea determinedly.

"Well, see you later, James."

She walked away but only when she reached where Sayid was did Sawyer get up and start running through the jungle, looking for Jack.

"How did she know about Shannon?" Sayid demanded of Charlie and Hurley. Claire came up behind them holding Aaron, looking worried.

"We don't know! We only said that a few people have died but we didn't say names!" Hurley insisted.

"Did she pass the graves? Maybe she saw…" Claire suggested but Charlie sighed and interrupted.

"We didn't mark the graves. We know whose is whose because of where they are but we never put their names on them. We had no headstones, just…sticks!"

"Someone had to have told her," Sayid's face looked pained and they all knew why. None of them said anything. "Who would have told her?"

"I don't know, man," Hurley said sadly.

"She's up there. Why don't you just ask her?" Claire pointed up the beach where the girl was now talking to Sawyer at his tent.

"She…she probably won't give an answer," Sayid looked frustrated. "Don't tell her anything anymore. We need her to give us information. We don't know where she came from."

Charlie and Hurley nodded. They had expected Sayid to hurry towards the girl and start interrogating her again but instead Sayid took off into the jungle.

"Hello," Satine said, coming around and standing in front of Hurley and Charlie.

"Hi," they said in unison, both looking uncomfortable.

"So where's the hatch?" she asked curiously.

Hurley and Charlie looked at each other with wide eyes. Charlie muttered something incomprehensible and ran off. Hurley watched him go with desperation.

"Hatch?" asked Hurley. He'd always been a bad liar. "What hatch?"

"The hatch. I know what it looks like, but I don't know what's down there," she said. Her eyes never once left Hurley's face and it was creeping him out.

"Uh…why would you want to go there?" he asked.

"Because I can't remember the last time I've eaten and if going by the feeling that I'm about to faint is right, I need to eat," she said plainly.

Sighing, Hurley lead the way.

"Jack!"

Sawyer was running and he was in great shape, yet he couldn't understand why his heart was pounding in his throat. His head spun and he almost felt sick as he ran through the jungle, searching for Jack.

But how could Jack explain it? How could Jack convince Sawyer that he'd misheard her?

Coming around a bend in the path, he stopped.

Sitting on the rocks beside the waterfall outside the caves was Kate and Jack. Kate was holding her arm out, on which looked like a very painful gash. Jack tended to it gently and as he finished, Kate looked up at him and they were very close.

"Hate to break up the honeymoon," Sawyer said loudly through the boiling in his chest. "But we have a problem."

"What is it?" Kate asked in her usual tone towards him.

"That girl. Something's up. She called me a name," said Sawyer, knowing it sounded dumb.

"Aw. Is Sawyer offended?" Jack asked tauntingly and Sawyer would have liked nothing better than to punch the pretty boy doctor right in the mouth. He resisted.

"No. She called me a name of someone I know, someone whose been dead five years," Sawyer explained. He wished they looked like they believed him. "And she knows about the hatch."

"How?" Kate looked alarmed. "We told everyone not to…"

"Yes, freckles but if you haven't noticed we aren't exactly the CIA. No one can keep their damn traps shut on this mound of dirt," sighing, Sawyer looked away. "She knows stuff. I think you need to interrogate her again."

"There's only so much we can do. She's not going to remember if we keep drilling her, it's possible her memory will block it out even more. We just…"

"Hey!"

They all turned. Walking into camp was Charlie. He looked extremely worried.

"Um, Hurley and that girl disappeared into the jungle," he said slowly, wringing his hands. Jack looked at his trembling fingers with shock. "I think he's taking her to the hatch."

"Damn it, Hurley," Jack sighed. "We have to get there. There are guns in there."

"She's just a girl…"

"Regardless!" Jack snapped at Kate, who looked taken aback.

"I'll get her and bring her here. Someone find Sayid. She's being more outgoing which means she isn't as scared as she was. That's not normal. She knows something," Jack said more calmly. "I'll be back."

"So this is the hatch."

Hurley stood behind the girl as she gazed around the large quarters of the underground hideaway. The beds were messy and there was food all around. The little table was littered with papers and someone had left the door to the shower open.

"How did you find this?" Satine asked, slowly walking forward.

"Locke and Boone found it," Hurley explained, walking around her and blocking her way. "Now that's it. I wasn't supposed to show you this."

"Why?" she asked, going around him and towards the back where the computer was. Hurley tried to remember and realized it was Michael who was on duty right now. Hurley's shift started in an hour.

"Because," he hurried to block her way to the hall. "We don't know you."

"Well I'm not going anywhere with anything. It's an island," she laughed and shook her head. "How long did you go without knowing about this? And what's it for?"

"Too many questions."

They turned and saw Jack strolling in. He leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms.

"Hurley? May I have a moment with Satine?" asked Jack coldly. Hurley knew he was in trouble and nodded, walking quickly past Jack and towards the door. Satine watched Jack with confused eyes.

"I made him take me here. He didn't want to," she insisted as he walked towards her.

"We don't know you. You don't know us. We need to find out more about you before we let you go rummaging through our food and supplies," he said firmly, standing right before her.

There was something about her eyes that made Jack feel very uncomfortable, as though she were looking through him and could see every thought inside his head. He knew this was ridiculous but took a step back from her anyway.

"How did you know about Shannon?" Jack asked, taking her arm gently and leading her out the door and back into the jungle.

"Who?" she asked, trying to hurry along as he pulled her.

"Shannon. You said to Sayid 'you killed Shannon'. How did you know she died?" he asked firmly, looking back at her as she walked.

"I…" she didn't say anything, seemingly thinking hard. "I don't know. I somehow knew he was grieving. You can see it in his eyes."

"But who told you that Shannon died?" Jack repeated angrily.

"No one…"

"Stop Lying!" Jack demanded, stopping and turning to face her. He had her arm in his grip and tightened his hold. "You have to start telling the truth."

"I am!" she insisted, suddenly frightened. She tried to pull away but he just pulled her along. "You're hurting me!"

They reached the caves and standing around it was Sawyer, Kate, and Sayid. When Satine saw them she stopped walking and wrenched her arm from Jack's grip.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, rubbing her arm. She looked terrified and Kate saw this, knowing she'd take off in an instant.

"We're not doing anything," Sawyer replied, coming up behind her quickly. He seized her shoulders and she immediately began to struggle.

"Sawyer, stop," Kate said. "You don't have to hold her down."

"She'll run again," he said, holding her arms tightly behind her back. She tried to kick him.

"Whoa there! Don't want to damage the goods!" he replied, tightening his grip. She cried out in pain as her shoulder was twisted.

"Enough Sawyer!" Jack shouted.

Sawyer loosened his grip but didn't let go.

"You need to tell us what you know," Sayid said, coming in front of the girl and looking at her. She looked down and he reached out and raised her chin. "What do you know?"

"I don't know anything!" she pleaded. She was crying and Kate tried hard not to let it show that she felt sorry for the girl.

"You knew about Shannon and the hatch without anyone telling you!" Sayid said strictly. She quieted and stared at him in awe. "How did you know?"

"I…" she looked up at Sawyer. "Would you please let go of me?"

Sawyer glanced at Jack who nodded and then backed off. She stood for a moment and everyone expected her to run but instead she remained where she was.

"I saw her grave," she said quietly. "But it wasn't marked. I just kind of…knew her name."

"And the hatch? Who told you about the hatch?" Sayid demanded.

"One of the people from the tail of the plane," she said quietly.

"Wait. Who told you about the tail…?" Jack asked.

"The same person who told me about the hatch," she crossed her arms. "I'm not lying."

"No, we believe you," Sawyer said sarcastically. "Just like we believed you were drunk the night we found you."

"Drunk?" she shrieked. "I was not drunk!"

"You were so wasted you could barely stand!" Sawyer shouted at her. "I would know what it looks like!"

"You would, huh? When you haven't had a drink since Jack used all your alcohol on Boone?"

Kate gasped but Jack and Sawyer both began to move.

"What did you say?" Sawyer seized the front of her shirt and Jack grabbed his arm. "What did you say, girlie?"

"Let go!" she shouted, pushing him off.

"Who is giving you this information?" Kate shouted. She looked pale and horrified. "Who is telling you this stuff?"

"That woman!" Satine insisted, stepping away from Sawyer, whom Jack was still trying to calm down. "She's….weird and…kind of dirty and I don't know. She says she was in the tail."

"What's her name?" Jack asked. "We have a manifest. We'll know if you're lying."

"She didn't give me one. She just has been telling me all about you guys. She told me about Boone and the plane with the heroin in it. She told me about a lot about you guys," she said with intense eyes. Jack almost felt threatened.

"You've been here barely a day. When did you have time to listen to all of this? And how on earth does she know so much?" Kate asked. She had moved closer to Jack and it was obvious she was scared.

"I want you to take me to her," Jack demanded. "I want to know whose telling you these things."

Satine didn't say anything. She looked around at them and then down at her bare feet. She nodded and started off slowly towards where Sawyer stood. He stepped aside, looking down at her in disgust. She looked away from him and continued forward.

After walking all the way to the beach, she turned left and they walked parallel to the shore, all in a line. Jack followed close behind Satine, and then came Sayid and Sawyer with Kate bringing up the rear. She looked nervous and very worried about this whole thing. She just didn't trust the girl.

They came around a large grouping of trees and Satine stopped. The whole row of them came around to stand in a semi circle behind her as Jack went forward.

"Where is she?" he asked.

She pointed towards where there was a thick knot of trees that wound around the side of the island and away towards the higher mountains.

"She's French," she said, turning to Jack. "She came from there."


	4. Chapter 4: The Raft

"Sawyer?"

Turning in his seat, Sawyer gazed at the man sitting beside him in the car. They sat outside the bus depot. James had a bus ticket to Sydney in his hand. Only two people sat on a bench waiting for the bus to arrive.

"How did she die?"

Looking down, Sawyer wished he could say he didn't know. He'd seen the man walk into their house, their beautifully decorated house and watched him shoot her as she stood at the kitchen sink, her hands still sudsy. Sawyer had to wonder where their eight-year-old was, and whether he was home or with her in-laws.

"He shot her," Sawyer replied. He was staring out at the wall of the depot building.

"Was Maddie home?"

"I don't think so. She would have come running," Sawyer wished he could say more, say that she'd said their baby wasn't home.

"Yeah. She's supposed to be at my folk's place," James's eyes were red rimmed and he kept sniffling. "I…I'll have to get her in the morning."

The bus could be seen driving down the dusty road. The two people waiting stood, their bags in hand.

"That's your bus," Sawyer said, popping the lock on James's door. "Good luck."

"Why are you doing this for me?"

Sawyer didn't answer. He had no answer.

"Because I have to. Now I saved your skin, now get!" he shouted angrily.

"You didn't have to. There was obviously some kind of reward for handing me in and you didn't take it. I got rid of the product because I was afraid of getting caught, I chickened out so they wanted me bad," James looked desperate. The bus was pulling into the parking lot.

"I…I didn't…I," Sawyer couldn't get it out. Instead he pushed open his door and came around the car. Seizing James by the arm he yanked him from the car.

"Get on that bus!" Sawyer demanded, shoving James in that direction.

It was only when he saw the two men who had been waiting walking towards them that he heard the click of a gun being loaded.

"She's back," Charlie said worriedly to Claire, who was clutching Aaron so tightly to her chest the baby was crying out. "The French chick."

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Hurley came around the tent. "That French lady? What was her name? Daniel?"

"Danielle!" snapped Claire, turning back to Charlie. "Are you sure?"

"She's been feeding Satine information…"

"Charlie!"

From around the bend came Ana-Lucia. She wasn't often seen on this part of the beach, and it surprised everyone to see she was carrying a bag.

"Have you seen Jack?" she asked him, avoiding the glares of Claire and Hurley.

"He's busy," Charlie said, his eyes emotionless.

"Well when you see him tell him I'm looking for him. It's important, about that girl," she said, before heading off down the beach.

Back at the caves. John and Kate were busily trying to get together the maps Sayid had taken from Danielle's makeshift home before she blew it up. They were scrambling through papers and old documents they'd salvaged from the crash.

"I found the map of Black Rock," Kate said, pulling it out. Some of it was smeared, possibly from the moisture from the nearby waterfall. "And some notes."

"Here's the rest of it," John stopped halfway through handing it to Kate.

Kate turned to look at what John had seen and anger filled her inside. Ana-Lucia was walking out of the jungle, looking serious as she shifted the weight of the bag she was carrying to her other shoulder.

"Where's Jack?" she asked them without even a greeting.

"He's busy," Kate said. In truth, Jack had taken Satine back to the hatch to evaluate her. Jack seemed to firmly believe she was suffering some kind of mental block. "What is it?"

"I found something," putting down the bag, she unzipped it and pulled out some large yellow material that was wet and grimy. Seaweed was all over it but it was clearly some kind of rubber floatation device.

"It says it's from a cruise ship," she said, flattening it out. John came around and helped her widen it.

"This thing looks like it was torn to pieces on the rocks. How did she survive that?" he said quietly, more to himself than to the two women.

"Maybe she wasn't in it. I doubt a cruise ship sank, how often does that happen? Maybe this was thrown overboard with her but she…"

"There's blood in it," Ana-Lucia pointed out, showing the streaks of stained blood on the inside creases. "Someone was in it."

"We need to show this to Jack and to the girl too. Maybe it'll jog her memory," John began folding the raft again and stopped. Something silvery was caught in the netting across the bottom of it. Unfolding parts, he was able to untangle a fine silver chain with a heavy ruby-like stone on it shaped like a heart.

"What is that?" Kate breathed.

"A very expensive gift," John said, pocketing it and folding the raft.

"Why do I have to?" Satine was asking Jack as he made her follow his pen with her eyes.

"Because you just told us that a French woman has been telling you our secrets," Jack said quietly. They hadn't told her about Danielle. The last thing Jack wanted to do was provoke her delusions. "And I think you may have injured yourself."

"I didn't," she said angrily. Jack continued to make her follow the pen and then she stopped, crossing her arms. "I'm fine!"

"No, you're not," Jack sat back on the seat. He'd sat her down on one of the beds and had tested all of her reflexes, felt her abdomen and even listened to her breathing but could find nothing significantly wrong with her. She was tiny for her age, which he felt might be cause to think she'd been at sea for longer than she knew.

"You've been through some traumatic experience that led to you either swimming or floating across the ocean to this island. Something happened to you, and it was so terrible your mind is forcing you to forget it," he said firmly to her. "Don't you understand that if we can find out how you got here, it may be key to getting us off this island?"

"You don't think this is hard for me?" she snapped, her eyes blazing. "I don't remember anything! I don't even know when the last time I saw my mother was before the bar."

"Bar?" Jack asked. "What bar?"

"The one I was at," she said plainly, and then thought for a moment. "Wait, I forgot about the bar."

"You're remembering." Jack tried not to get too excited he knew this could even be a fake memory. "What about the bar?"

"It was smoky and gross. I couldn't order a drink but they said it was okay if I sat at the bar. I think he only said okay because he knew my mother. She was popular," she looked down. "But it couldn't have been in Australia where we were visiting because everyone there was American."

"Okay, just go slowly…" Jack leaned over and closed the blind to make it darker and cooler in there. "It's a bar. Who is the bartender?"

"A man…a black man.…he said his name was…"

There was a crash behind him and he turned to see Michael standing over a smashed glass.

"Sorry man," he bent and was picking up the pieces but his eyes were on Satine. "We…uh…haven't met."

"Satine," Jack said, "this is Michael."

"Nice to meet you," she said quietly.

"You too. Uh…Hurley's shift starts in five minutes. I'm…um going to leave early to get some air I'm…not feeling to well," Michael threw the glass away.

"You okay?" Jack asked, although he knew what was wrong with Michael. Anyone who came in contact with Satine seemed to be the. And Jack didn't doubt Michael had been listening.

Michael nodded and hurried out. Jack sighed and looked back at Satine.

"Shift?" she asked.

It took Jack five minutes to explain the computer and the time limit to her, and by then several people had arrived and were eating and talking so he knew this wasn't the best place to have a private talk. Just as he was about to suggest they go somewhere else, John came storming in with Ana-Lucia and Kate at his heels.

Jack hadn't seen Ana-Lucia in weeks. She'd been living on the other side of the beach, only appearing to fill her water bottles and eat when she could. Mostly he knew she was picking her own fruit and killing small animals for food although Jack doubted her ability because she looked thinner and paler. Sometimes he wondered about her, and remembered meeting her at the bar before the flight. Then he would remember Shannon and all emotion would leave him and he'd stare at her coldly.

"We found something," John said.

"I found something," Ana-Lucia corrected him. John had gone to open the bag but she grabbed his wrist, looking around. "We need privacy."

Jack nodded and took Satine's arm, leading them back into the other room and closing the sliding doors. Flicking on the light, John pointed to the bench against the wall and Jack, Satine, and Kate all sat down on it as John opened the bag.

"What is that?" Jack asked in the same awe-struck voice Kate had.

"A raft. A rubber safety raft. We're guessing she floated here on it but it's so badly torn up I don't think she was in it when it hit the rocks," John laid it out flat and smoothed it down so the words "Australian Cruise Line" could be seen on the side.

"A cruise? So she was on a cruise? But why would she need a…"

Kate had stopped talking when she looked over at Satine, whose eyes had gone wide. She was staring at John, who was holding in his hand a fine silver chain with a ruby heart at the bottom.

"Are you remembering?" John asked her, coming forward and holding it right before the girl's face.

"No," she said, her face suddenly fearful as she stood and stumbled as she tried to back away from John. "No…"

"Satine," Jack jumped up and tried to go to her but she screamed.

"Stay away from me!" she shouted, trying to flatten herself against the wall. "Just…don't come near me."

"She's probably having a flashback," John said, still holding the necklace out.

"Put that away!" Kate shouted at John, but he refused.

"No. No…" Satine was staring at the item in John's hand as though it were a gun pointed at her. Her eyes flicked from the raft on the ground to John's hand and suddenly she looked very pale and Jack rushed forward as she crumbled.

"Did she faint?" Ana-Lucia asked as Jack turned her over.

But Satine's eyes were open and she was trying to get up again.

"What did you do to her?" Satine demanded, scrambling to get away from Jack, who stood back up. "What did you do?"

She crawled away from Jack into the corner against a cabinet and curled her legs to her chest, hugging herself tightly as she trembled. Kate once again felt sorry for the girl, but John continued to hold the necklace out as she stared at it.

"What did they do?" Jack whispered, on his knees only a foot away from her.

Slowly, Satine looked back at the raft and then at the necklace.

"They shot her."


	5. Chapter 5: Conflicting Views

"Your guess is as good as mine."

Ten minutes later Satine was lying asleep on a bunk. When they'd gotten her calmed down, she said she was suddenly exhausted and she practically collapsed onto the bed and was asleep within moments. They'd closed the doors and now sat at the small booth, yet Ana-Lucia hovered nearby, looking uncomfortable.

"My guess is," John said quietly, "that someone murdered her mother and she was a witness."

"But then how does that explain her being thrown overboard?" Jack asked sensibly.

"I don't think she was. If they had wanted to kill her, why give her a raft?" Kate said simply. She was looking down at her hands. "I think she might have been escaping."

"Well, she remembered something," John had placed the necklace in the middle of the table and they all looked at it. "However traumatic it was, she remembered."

"She was having a flashback. That doesn't mean she remembers it. She probably just relived part of it," Jack looked exhausted and Kate wanted to tell him to rest but she didn't want to embarrass him in front of John. She knew how men were about those sorts of things.

"She wasn't just reliving it," Ana-Lucia said quietly from her place in the shadows beside the table. "She was seeing it like a movie. I could see in her eyes…she didn't want to be seeing it."

"How do you…" Kate began but Jack had given her a small nudge and she stopped.

"I relive it every day," her eyes downcast, Ana-Lucia looked more uncomfortable than ever. "I know how she feels."

No one spoke. No one needed to. Without a word, she had nodded and then departed. Kate watched her go without the hatred she usually felt towards her.

"However she got here, she's here now. She's going to be part of this island now with us. We need to make her feel welcome. I know she's….known things and we can't explain them," Jack sighed.

"Do you really think the French woman came back to talk to Satine?" John asked, pointing at the doors behind which slept the girl. "That girl didn't talk to anyone, she knew those things before she even came."

"What are you getting at John?" Jack said bitterly.

"What I'm getting at is what I've said all along. We were all brought here for a reason and that girl came knowing those things. No one told her, no one would have. The first thing you tell someone when you meet them is not who has died since we've arrived," John looked around at them and knew they didn't believe him. "There is something about her. Everyone can feel it. She is going to either be useful or dangerous."

"I don't see how she can be dangerous," Kate said, laughing a bit.

"She can turn us against each other. Did you see how fast we accused others of telling our secrets? She knows a lot, exactly how much we don't know…"

"John!" Jack interrupted him, fed up with this. "Enough. We know what we're dealing with without the philosophizing."

John nodded and slid out of the booth, standing and looking around.

"Well I'm off," he said, heading towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Kate asked.

"To find Satine."

Jack and Kate exchanged a glance.

"She's asleep…"

"If you didn't notice, she slipped out almost ten minutes ago. I don't think we should leave her alone just yet. I'll just be keeping an eye on her," John left without another word.

Kate sighed and rolled her eyes, looking up at Jack with a small smile. He smiled back at her and for a moment it was quiet. Hurley would be by any moment to take over Michael's shift and the silence would be over. But for now, Jack enjoyed it.

"I'm sorry we have one more thing to worry about," Kate said quietly, looking down at the silver chain sitting in the middle of the table. "You don't need it."

"What's one more?" Jack shrugged. "I just hope she didn't bring any diseases."

Kate was quiet for a few moments.

"Do you really think she knows more about us than we know?" she asked him, her voice sounding worried. "I mean…I know mostly everyone here knows about me but it'd be nice if one person didn't."

"I don't think she knows as much as John lets on," Jack assured her, patting her hand. He quickly removed it and sighed. "Don't worry about it. John likes to make it out to be something more."

Kate stood and Jack followed suit. They reached the exit together and Kate stopped.

"Maybe it is something more," she said sincerely.

"Is there a problem?" Sawyer asked the two men as they stood before him, guns within their coats but clearly visible.

The shots rang out in the dull air like firecrackers. Sawyer felt a blinding pain in his right leg and collapsed to his left knee. But his eyes were open and where James had been hit squarely in the chest four times, four dots of blot had formed on his chest, spreading quickly. As though it was in slow motion, the force of the shots had thrown James back and he hit the side of the car with a dull thud. Then, eyes staring fearfully forward into the eyes of his murderer, James fell forward as though his legs were stiff and jointless, falling face first into the hot dust.

Dust flew up around him and Sawyer looked up at the two men who were putting their guns away.

"Why not kill me too?" Sawyer shouted at them as they walked away.

"Because that would be too easy of an escape for you," shouted one back in a heavy Australian accent.

Sawyer awoke from his nap feeling even worse than he did when he fell asleep. His head was pounding today for some reason, he supposed it was because he'd misplaced his reading glasses and had continued reading without them. Now he sat up, the sun toasting him and feeling very bitter towards the world.

He was only halfway to the caves, thinking of the cool, dark relief of the inside of it when he saw the girl walking towards him through the jungle. She hadn't looked up yet, she was looking down as she walked. Slowly and quietly he jumped off the path and hid behind several thickly knotted trees.

He held his breath as he watched her go by slowly. She walked as though she was a zombie, eyes fixed on the ground and legs moving without much effort. She looked so sad yet Sawyer was glad she wouldn't see him.

"I know you're there," she said quietly. "You can come out. I won't bother you."

She kept walking as though she hadn't said it and Sawyer stepped back onto the path, feeling foolish.

"Well sorry if I don't feel like a cat fight today!" Sawyer shouted after her, wincing as his headache worsened.

"Your head hurts. Try taking a nap," she said quietly, turning and facing him. Sawyer was shocked to see tears were streaming down her face. "It might help."

For a moment she gazed at him and once again he felt as though he were being x-rayed. Then she just nodded and turned to walk away.

"Wait," Sawyer sighed, not believing he was doing this. "I…uh…come with me."

She looked shocked and he knew why. He'd been nothing but nasty to her since she'd first arrived the night before. Trying not to think about anything, he walked ahead of her swiftly as he went back towards the beach. The walking, the heat, and the sun were all making his head pound even worse as he came out onto the sand and jogged to his tent.

Holding up a hand, he stopped her at the entrance and motioned for her to wait, preferring not to speak, afraid he'd vomit from his migraine. He rummaged through several suitcases before taking out what he'd been looking for.

"Here," he said, handing her a pair of sandals. "I found them in the wreck. Looks like you could use them."

They both looked down at her feet that were filthy and cut up and bruised. For a moment she just looked sadly down at her feet and then she looked up and smiled.

It was weird but Sawyer could have sworn she wasn't smiling because of the shoes. For a moment he thought she was smiling for another reason, as though something good had happened in her past and it was just occurring to her now that it was a good thing. It looked too distant.

"You're welcome," he snapped, resuming his bad temper. "I'm off."

He started towards the shade of the trees and was halfway there when she called after him.

"Wait!"

She hurried up beside him, wearing the sandals. They were a few sizes too big but seemed fine.

Carefully she reached up and pulled him down by the shoulder. She kissed his cheek and smiled at him before turning and walking off down the beach.

"John?"

Kate had come across John stringing up the remains of the rubber raft between two trees. He seemed to be trying to stretch it back out to it's normal width. It was hard to do since it seemed to have been folded and moldy for a long time. This made John believe that perhaps the raft got here before she did.

"There was a lot of blood in this raft…and I don't think it's hers," he said quietly as she came over and stood beside him.

"Whose could it be?" she asked quietly.

"She's spoken about her mother being shot. Perhaps her mother was shot after she was in this raft?" John suggested, still trying to straighten it. He turned and looked at Kate and stopped. "Are you okay?"

"Something's wrong," she said worriedly. "That girl, she…makes me feel uneasy. I feel like some kind of terrible thing is going to happen either because of her or to her. I feel sorry for her, I really do but I can't help but think we're risking all of our lives trusting her to live among us."

John looked at Kate for a moment and then back at the raft.

"Are you afraid she's going to find out about your criminal record?" he asked her simply as she stood wringing her hands.

"No," she shook her head. "Everyone on the island knows by now, it doesn't matter who knows anymore. It's just one more person who's afraid of me. But I just don't trust her."

Once again John seemed to think hard as he stared at the piece of rubber hanging between the trees.

"When we first crashed here we didn't know each other, we were all strangers. Yet right away everyone trusted that Jack was a doctor."

Kate looked skeptical.

"That's because he is a doctor," she said, not understanding.

"That first day, Jack could have just told us he was a doctor. He could have been a fan of some fancy medical show and decided to practice on us because of the circumstances. And Sayid, he was automatically assumed to be good with electrical things because he said so. We believed him and trusted him with a transmitter which could have been our only way off this island," John said, facing Kate and looked very thoughtful. "Truth is, Kate, we still don't know each other. For this girl, it's like she's late in the game. If she had been on the plane, we never would have had these suspicions about her."

"It's different. We all know how we got here but she just appeared!" Kate insisted, wishing someone would agree with her. "She could be from another tribe of people that we don't know about."

"You believe there are more people on the island we don't know about?" asked John, sitting down on a rock as Kate began to pace.

"I don't know, maybe? We've had several people just show up a little late and say they'd gotten lost. People from the tail of the plane have been appearing, saying they were hiding and saw it was safe so they came out now. But we don't know if they've just been watching us. It's like the people Michael thinks took Walt. We don't know if they're from the tail of the plane. We assumed they aren't because they seemed to have a boat and stuff. Yet we haven't even tried to look for them because we're afraid of them."

"We all agreed we'd rather remain safe and alive here then risk going into their territory and getting anyone killed looking for a boat we're not even sure exists," John said simply, although Kate truly believed he wanted to agree with her.

"I know. But hasn't anyone thought that perhaps we should take that risk? Maybe we should go try to find this boat because if it's a power boat like Michael and Sawyer said, it'd be our ticket out of here!" Kate insisted.

"I thought we were talking about Satine here?" John asked, not sounding rude but simply observing.

"We are! What I'm saying is, everything we have on this island is based on trust. We trust the people who come late who say they're from the tail of the plane to be them. We had an experience with someone who infiltrated us before. What if it's happening again? What if they had this girl and sent her to spy on us and get information about us to use against us? You saw how Sawyer reacted to her, and how Sayid did when she talked about Shannon. It'd be easy for them to use her to turn us all against each other because if we were attacked, everyone would save themselves."

Kate was almost out of breath as she said all this, pacing back and forth in front of John, in-between him and the rubber raft. She'd needed to get all of this off her chest so badly and was so glad she had because now she didn't feel like such a moron.

"I see what you're saying," John stood and sighed deeply. "And I think we should tell Jack your concerns."

"I've said we should be careful, but he just seems to want to help her. I can understand. Ever since Boone…he wants to help anyone he can. He's too afraid to quit helping in fear of being wrong," she replied sadly.

"I think you should go to Jack and tell him everything you said to me," John put a comforting hand on Kate's shoulder. "And I'll take Satine for a walk tonight."

"Why? What are you going to do?" Kate seemed worried. John began folding the tarp again, this time more carefully. John just laughed.

"I'm just going to help her understand where she is," he said, giving her a comforting smile. "Don't worry. She'll be safe with me."

Putting the raft bag in the bag Ana-Lucia had brought it in, John looked up.

"The sun will be setting soon. We should get back."

Kate nodded and started back with John and although her uneasiness was lessened, a sudden sense of foreboding began to close around her.


	6. Chapter 6: Pass or Fail

Sawyer hit the ground of the dirty bus depot bathroom so hard he felt a tooth knock loose in his mouth from the force of the fall. He grunted in pain, actually holding in a howl of misery from the bullet wound in his leg just above his knee.

"Get up!" shouted whoever had come up behind Sawyer after James had been shot. Sawyer couldn't believe that less than five minutes ago, James could have been on that bus and heading towards Sydney.

"I said get up!" shouted this stranger.

"I'd love to if you'd like to remove the bullet from my damn leg!" Sawyer protested, rolling onto his back.

"You'd be dead if my men had any kind of aim!" grunted this light haired brute. He was huge, even bigger than Sawyer with muscles that made Sawyer look like a twig. His face was covered in dust, which had settled in his scruffy beard. In his hand was a gun and in the other a large envelope.

"Where is it?" demanded the brute, shoving Sawyer up against the wall. Blood was soaking his jeans leg but he barely noticed, the pain becoming excruciating, although he kept a straight face.

"Where is what?" Sawyer snapped, hoping he wouldn't bleed to death on the floor of this bathroom.

"You know what I'm talking about! You were supposed to deliver it!" he hit Sawyer hard across the mouth. Stars danced before his eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Sawyer shouted.

"James…."

"Sawyer," he corrected the brute.

The brute's eyes went wide.

"Oh sh…"

"Where are we going, Mr. Locke?" Satine asked as they turned off the path and into a denser part of the forest.

"John. And I wanted to show you the jungle, some tricks on how to get around it. Just so if you get turned around you know how to find your way back," John said, giving her a smile over his shoulder as she followed him, stepping over brush and pulling away from clinging vines. It was even more uncomfortably hot in here.

"I see you found some shoes," John observed, now walking more beside her because this rougher path had widened.

"Sawyer gave them to me," she replied, feeling very uneasy around him. "Um…why do we have to walk so far for you to show me around? I won't leave the path."

"There is much more to this island than the beach and the caves. As long as you're here you're going to be expected to help out. If we need to send you to get something somewhere else…"

"No offense, sir," she said, slightly breathless. "But there are like forty other people on this island. Why would anyone ask the person who doesn't know where she's going to get something?"

"Perhaps in an emergency?" John looked curiously at her. "I can tell you're not used to the wilderness."

"Um, no. I'm from Manhattan," she remarked, sounding extremely bitter. She slapped at some bugs and wiped her brow.

"You'll get used to it," he said, giving her a wink as they continued on.

"Kate!"

Jack came jogging up the beach to where Kate sat with Sun hanging up clothes to dry.

"Have you seen John?" he asked her.

"No," Kate lied. John had specifically asked her not to tell Jack what he was doing, knowing he'd disapprove.

"Where's Satine?" he asked, looking at Sun for an answer also.

"No idea," Kate shrugged, focusing on the shirt she was hanging on the rope. "Why?"

"Well Hurley said he saw her heading into the jungle with John," Jack put his hands on his hips and Kate tried not to smile. This was his way of saying he was very concerned, but in a manly way. "I'm afraid he's trying to 'test' her like he did with Boone."

Kate and Sun both looked at Jack with wide eyes.

"John wouldn't do that," Sun said to Jack harshly. "She's only a girl."

"We don't know what John would do," Jack threw back at her. "I'm going to follow them. They can't be that far ahead."

He turned to walk away and Kate sighed, jumping up and following him.

"You shouldn't," she said, and he gave her a look and she knew she was caught. "John is good at talking to people. We both thought maybe we could get more out of her if they were alone."

"Do you have any idea where he's taking her?" Jack asked, stopping and facing Kate.

She looked down and shook her head.

"No. I think he told me for this reason…."

Jack started walking again and she hurried to catch up.

"Please, Jack. I was really scared about her. I think there's something about her that could be dangerous. John is just going to find out what her intentions are. Like if she's a good person or someone we should worry about," Kate pleaded as they reached the edge of the jungle.

Jack turned and leaned against a tree, looking at Kate.

"I trust John, I do. It's that girl I don't trust. I think we need to keep a close eye on her and I don't think it's safe for anyone to be alone with her," Jack said a bit more quietly since people were nearby.

"Are you still going to follow them?" Kate asked worriedly.

"No," Jack sighed. "I'll give in this time. But if they're not back by an hour before sundown, I'm going to look for them."

Kate smiled and for a moment he just watched her standing there, smiling at him. Then her smile faded and she turned away, hurrying back to Sun.

"Satine, have you ever been camping?" John asked as they sat to rest.

"No," she replied, sitting down and breathing heavily. She wasn't used to the humidity. John handed her some water and she gulped it, trying to catch her breath. "Sir, I don't…"

"No need to call me sir," John laughed. "I'm not a teacher."

"Okay. Well John, I don't know what you're doing but I'm not cut out to tramp through the woods," she said, putting a hand to her head. She felt dizzy.

But something wasn't right. She looked at the water she had handed back to John and saw he wasn't drinking any, but watching her closely.

"You drugged me," she said, her head spinning.

He didn't reply and for a moment, everything was still and then blackness.

When she opened her eyes, she felt as though she'd hit her head. It spun horribly and she felt like vomiting. Sitting up, she turned and screamed.

She was high up in a tree, almost fifty off the ground. Branches splayed out around her, almost making a nest for her. Beside her was the pack John had been carrying with water and a flashlight. Her heart raced.

"John!" she shouted, looking around below. There was no sound. The jungle was darkening and she couldn't hear anything beyond the sounds of birds and the wind in the canopy. "John! Help!"

There was no answer. She had never felt so frightened in her life. Was this their plan, to drug her and then trap her in some remote part of the jungle so she couldn't find her way out? They were afraid of her, afraid of a stranger ruining the peace they'd created on the island.

An enormous explosion took place not far beyond the line of trees. Dirt and bits of tree flew in the air and she ducked as pieces crashed into the branches around her. It had been loud, almost like a bomb had gone off under the ground. Then came an almighty roar that made her flesh crawl.

Whatever it was, it was tall enough to move the top branches of the canopy. She could see them swaying and breaking as something came crashing through the jungle.

Grabbing the pack and throwing it over her shoulder, she immediately started climbing down. Finding branches to use, she easily was able to slide down but ten feet from the ground there were no more branches to grab. So gritting her teeth, she jumped.

Hitting the ground, she rolled forward and landed on her back.

Another roar filled the air and the trees around her shook. A second explosion took place, this time closer and dirt hit her in the back as she scrambled up.

Taking off she flew through the jungle, tearing through branches and jumping over roots. Vines entangled her and she ripped through them, crashing along as fast as she could, her breath caught in her chest. She thought her heart was going to beat out of her chest, knew her lungs had to be about to collapse as she ran.

The explosions kept coming but because she was moving so fast, they sounded distant. Slowing down, she looked around and found it was even darker and that even though the sky was light, within the jungle it was almost twilight.

Reaching into the bag, she pulled out a flashlight. Inside was nothing but two water bottles and some paper.

"Hello?" she shouted, unsure of which direction to yell in. Whatever had made those explosions was surely not human, right? It wouldn't understand her voice. But if she yelled, perhaps it would know where she was and come after her.

Deciding to stay silent, Satine started walking. The flashlight provided little help or comfort as the jungle finally grew black as pitch and only the small circle of flashlight was guiding her.

"John?"

Jack found John sitting in the hatch at his post, because it was now his shift.

"Where's Satine?" Jack asked curiously, looking around the empty room with large computers lining the walls.

"She's not with you?" John asked curiously. His arms were crossed and he looked very relaxed.

"No. I saw you two leave this afternoon," Jack didn't want to accuse but it was already dark out. "Where is she?"

"I don't know. Check the beach, she seems to have taken a liking to Sawyer," he said, smiling at Jack.

Turning around, Jack stormed from the doorway and through the dark, following the beaten path and coming out in the light of torches at the caves. The first people he saw were Charlie and Michael filling water bottles at the cave.

"Hey," Jack jogged up to them. "Has either of you seen that girl?"

"No, man. I saw her with Locke," Charlie said, tightening his cap.

"Yeah me too. She was following him," Michael said, looking around. "Maybe she's still…"

"No, she's not. If you see her, tell her to stay here," ordered Jack. He saw the confusion in their faces and shook his head before taking off down the path towards the beach. Halfway there he met Claire, carrying Aaron in a bundle and holding a flashlight.

"Oh hey," she said, looking up at Jack as he jogged along. "Where are you hurrying off to?"

"Have you seen the new girl?" Jack asked breathlessly, stopping beside her.

"No. I haven't, I'm sorry. Ask Sawyer, she seems to have…"

"Taken a liking to him. Yeah, I heard. Okay, thanks," Jack said, giving her a smile before running off again.

Sawyer jumped down from his place in the branch where he'd picked some fruit. His bag was full of them and he planned to take them back to his tent and have his own dinner, not the crap the rest of them had eaten. There was only so much fish he could take.

Distantly, barely audible, there was the unmistakable sound of a roar. Slowly, Sawyer turned towards the sound. It repeated but was so soft that it was no more than a hum, yet he knew what it was. But how could it be? Usually that "security system" as John had called it, didn't go past what they knew as "Dark Territory".

Shivering a bit, he hitched up his bag and started back. The roar seemed to fade even more but he heard something else and suddenly stopped.

Satine found what looked like a path. The ground was well flattened and many branches lined the sides of it. She followed it for what seemed like forever, and stopped when it lead to nothing but a flat of mud. Sighing, she turned around and headed off in a different direction.

She'd now been walking for over an hour and couldn't help but start to cry. John Locke had seemed so nice, she couldn't believe she'd been stupid enough to go off with him. Even Jack seemed to care, since he was so worried about her remembering. Kate was sweet too, even if she hurried off whenever Satine entered a room.

Perhaps they were just protecting themselves, she thought sensibly. But then again, maybe they're selfish and don't want another mouth to feed.

After fifteen more minutes, Satine was sure she'd faint. Even with the dark, the humidity was heavy in the jungle since all the air was trapped. She thought of the beach and almost cried again. A breeze was exactly what she needed now.

To her own amazement, there came a very strong breeze at her back. But it was hot air blowing very strongly from behind her. Turning, she focused her flashlight ahead. Darkness was on all sides, pressing in around her. She tried to listen, tried to see but the breeze suddenly stopped.

The explosion felt like it was right beside her, and she knew she was airborne only when she felt the pack feel almost weightless on her back. She landed hard in what was thankfully some mud, but it slimed all over her and as she scrambled to stand, she slid and her arm grazed what felt like a knife but was actually a broken tree trunk.

Blood poured from the cut on her arm, mixing with the mud. Satine cried out and looked back.

The roar was so loud she almost covered her ears. Her arms and legs were caked in mud, and she felt almost frozen as the roar practically drove right through her. She didn't move, didn't even breathe as she waited and the roar subsided.

There seemed to be a silence before a second explosion took place on her left, showering her with dirt and wood. Turning quickly she went to run and slipped in the bog, falling hard.

"Help!" she screamed, knowing no one would hear her.

As though someone was reading her thoughts, she felt a hand grasp her muddy wrist and yank her up so fast and hard she almost left the ground. Dazed and confused, she knew someone was pulling her along and only looked up when she felt herself running.

"Sawyer?" she gasped.

"Run, kid!" he shouted, pushing her ahead of him.

She ran as hard and fast as she could. Roars still echoed behind them as they flew through the jungle, smashing through branches. Every so often, Sawyer would push her ahead a little, and when another explosion would happen just behind them, he'd give her an even harder push.

Satine kept running, confident that Sawyer was behind her. There was a strange silence around her and she stopped running and turned.

Sawyer was no where to be seen. She had lost her flashlight when she fell, and now she looked back into almost complete darkness.

"Sawyer?" she shouted into the pitch darkness.

Backing up slowly, she tried to calm herself down but her heart was racing too fast. She took another step back and felt the ground disappear from beneath her.

She grabbed the first thing she could reach, which was a root sticking out of the earth. With both hands she gripped it as the mud slid away beneath her and she was left dangling.

A smell, a horrible putrid stink reached her and she almost retched as she hung there.

Looking down, by only the thinnest ray of moonlight Satine saw what looked like hundreds of carcasses. Most were boar and pigs, but others were of large birds and rodents, some of what looked like monkeys. All were torn to pieces, their flesh black and rotted, bones shining in the dark. Satine let out a scream and almost vomited with it.

"Sawyer!" she shouted, pleading with anyone to just get her out of here.

"Kid!" Sawyer's voice was far off. Maybe he was coming. The root seemed to be holding but she couldn't hold on like this forever. It looked like she was hanging over some kind of pit, a crack made by loose soil that someone had used for dumping. Roots stuck out on each side of the steep inclines.

"I'm here!" Satine shouted as loud as she could. "Help me!"

Was he hurt? She prayed he could at least walk and come to pull her out. Her hands were muddy and were slipping fast.

The roar sounded again but this time farther off. In her mind she knew if she ever saw John Locke again she'd kill him with her bare hands.

Through the ground she felt explosions and knew whatever it was, was coming closer.

"Sawyer!" she pleaded. This was it. She was going to fall into a pit of carcasses and then be eaten by this monster. "Please!"

Sawyer's extremely dirty and bloody face appeared out of nowhere above her and a strong hand reached down and gripped her arm, yanking her up and out of the hole with one wrench.

She was trembling but he gave no response to that. Pulling her up, he took off again through the woods, this time not letting go of her wrist.

The explosions and roars seemed to fade and she knew they were nearing the beach because she could smell the salt. They were still running full speed and she knew her legs would give out soon. Finally, after what felt like running forever, Sawyer slowed to a walk and they came out onto the silent, dark beach.

Satine collapsed to her knees and then over onto her back, breathing heavily and closing her eyes. She knew Sawyer had sat down beside her and she opened her eyes.

Blood ran from a cut on his forehead, running over his eyebrow and around his eye, down his face with his sweat. He was covered in mud up to his knees, unlike Satine who seemed to be coated in it. She felt the gash on her arm and it throbbed painfully. Her legs felt like they would not support her if she tried to stand.

"Why the hell were you out there?" Sawyer suddenly demanded angrily, turning and looking at her. She saw his hand was bleeding also.

"John took me out there and drugged me!" she suddenly burst, and felt her throat tighten. "He tried to kill me by leaving me out there with that monster!"

Sawyer looked unbelievably at her for a moment. Did he believe her, she wondered?

"Okay," Sawyer stood shakily and then straightened up.

"Where are you going?" Satine asked, standing carefully as he hurried away.

"To kill John Locke."


	7. Chapter 7: Another Eye

The first kick hit the blonde brute right in the groin, causing him to drop the gun and fall sideways onto the dirty floor.

Sawyer scrambled, his leg feeling almost numb as he grabbed the gun from behind the brute's legs. Trying as hard as he could, Sawyer gripped the bar on the wall and raised himself halfway up to he was partially standing.

"You killed the wrong man," Sawyer said, no emotion on his pale face.

"It was supposed to be you," the brute growled at him.

It only took one shot that echoed through the bathroom.

"Locke!"

Sawyer came through the jungle with Satine at his heels. He wasn't angry about the fact that John had left the girl in the woods to die, nor at the fact that he knew the monster was moving towards the shore. Sawyer was mad that John Locke had purposely done it so Sawyer would hear the girl and be forced to help.

John stood from his place where he slept and Sawyer gave him a hard shove, sending him toppling backwards. Sun and Jin came out of their sleeping quarters in time to see Sawyer grasp John firmly around the throat and lift him up.

"Stop!" Kate screamed. She turned and ran towards the hatch and Satine knew she was getting Jack.

"Hey!" Michael appeared, rushing over and trying to separate them. He pushed Sawyer but Sawyer gave him an elbow to the mouth.

"What happened to you?" Hurley asked from beside Satine. He was staring at her mud caked arms and legs and the blood running down to her hand.

"Sawyer!" Jack came around the bend in the path and rushed towards them.

"He tried to kill the kid!" Sawyer angrily growled, tightening his grip. Locke was barely struggling, mostly staring at Sawyer with wide eyes. "He tried to kill me!"

"Let go of him!" Jack ordered, grabbing Sawyer's wrist and wrenching it away. John stumbled back, breathing deeply. "Oh my god."

Jack had seen Satine and stopped. Only then did most of the people around the caves notice her. In the firelight of the torches, she looked even worse. The mud caked her arms like some kind of stretchy suit. Blood covered almost all of her lower right arm and was running over her hand. Her face was muddy with scratches and her shoes were gone.

"What happened?" Jack said, coming over and lifting her arm. She pulled it away, fully aware that she was crying now.

"You tried to kill me," she said to all of them, trying to keep her voice steady. She backed away slowly.

"No! What…John?"

John Locke stood there motionless, staring at the girl.

"Did you see it?" he asked her, walking forward. He was looking at her with curious eyes.

"No," she breathed, gazing at him in awe and fear. "No, I didn't."

"John! Did you do this?" Kate had reappeared beside Jack. She looked shocked.

"You passed the test," John said simply, shrugging his shoulders.

"You did this?" Jack walked right up to John, faces inches from each other. "You did this?"

"The island wanted to…"

"The island didn't want anything!" screamed Jack, making them all jump. "She could have been killed!"

"If it wanted to kill her, it would have," said John fiercely.

"Sawyer?"

Satine had turned to see Sawyer striding away through the jungle. Everyone watched him go and Satine suddenly felt all of her backup was gone.

"You will not go near her. You won't even look at her. Do you understand me?" Jack was still lecturing John, who couldn't have seemed less interested. "That's it. You're done. This is your third strike."

"What was my first?"

Jack had turned to Satine and began to lead her away towards the hatch. He stopped and turned towards John.

"Boone."

"So what exactly happened?"

Jack had allowed Satine to shower in the shower that no one was allowed to use to conserve water. When she was done he had taken her over to a chair and sat down in front of her with his peroxide and equiptment.

"I was walking with John," she said quietly. She'd become extremely drawn in during the few minutes she'd been down here with Jack. She felt like he didn't believe her, and with Sawyer walking away she had no one to back up her story. "He offered me water but it was drugged."

"He drugged you?" she could see the shock on Jack's face as he cleaned her wound.

"Yes. And I woke up in a tree. And there was this like roar, and explosions. So I ran and ended up falling into this kind of…garbage pit," she said confusedly.

"Garbage pit?"

"Do you eat boar here? Like, do you kill for food?" she asked.

"Not much. We used to kill boar but we diminished the population so we stopped. Plus they moved inland. So we've been eating a lot of fish but occasionally Locke goes out for one. It's kind of a treat," Jack laughed. "Yeah, some treat."

"There's a pit. It's like a crack in the ground and there are carcasses of like all kinds of animals in it. It looks like something ate them and then discarded them there," she explained, hoping he'd give her a logical answer. "It was rotting."

Jack worked quietly for a moment, and she knew he was thinking hard. By his face she could tell he'd never even seen it before.

"Maybe the Others used it," he shrugged. "Anyway, I have to use this. It's going to burn."

When he poured the peroxide on it, she cried out and tried to pull away but he held her arm tightly. The gash was deep and ran almost the length of her inner forearm.

"Any deeper and you would have bled to death," he commented as he looked for something. "I can either sew it shut, or I can wrap it."

"Sew it?" she suddenly stood.

"Sit."

Why she listened to him, she didn't know. She very well could have walked right out of that shelter and out into the woods. But she knew that he was the only person who was willing to listen.

"I'll wrap it but if it doesn't stop bleeding I'll have to sew it shut," he said, taking out what looked like used gauze. It was darker in color and although it seemed it had been washed, still looked dirty. "Give it here."

When he had finished wrapping it, he took out of an almost empty bottle an aspirin and broke it in half.

"It'll probably start hurting more in the morning. Don't get it wet, and try to keep it clean," he said, handing her the aspirin. "You're all set."

Jack stood and packed his worn leather bag up with his very few medical supplies. Satien watched him carefully for a moment and when he saw her looking, her sighed.

"What did Sawyer have to do with anything?" Jack asked as he slung the bag over his shoulder.

"He…saved me," she said quietly.

Jack nodded and left.

Sawyer finished washing the mud off of himself and sat back on the rock. His head was throbbing from where he'd struck it and although he'd washed the blood off, it kept bleeding. He knew he should go to Jack but pride told him not to.

Returning to his tent, Sawyer laid down for a moment. It was quiet now, only the sound of the waves and the wind broke the silence.

He'd seen her there, in the mud and had heard her scream. It had been the most desperate scream he'd ever heard, but it also reminded him of something horrible. It was the sound of someone right before they die, pleading for life. It was something he'd wished he'd never have to hear again, something that no matter how much he put it out of his head, kept playing like a movie before his eyes.

There was what sounded like someone tripping in the sand and stumbling. Sitting up, Sawyer listened hard, his defensive instincts on high.

Slowly he stood, his head pounding still. Peering around the edge of his tarp he jumped.

"Sorry," Jack apologized quickly. He'd been kneeling in the sand beside the tarp. "I was trying to listen to see if you were awake."

"Yeah I'm awake, doc. What do you want?" Sawyer snapped, sitting back down on his bed. Jack came around and kneeled in front of him.

"Your head looks pretty bad," Jack said, reaching into his bag. "Can I treat it?"

"I don't need you to treat it, Doctor Spoc," Sawyer was irritated and his headache was getting worse. "Could ya leave me be?"

"Do you have a headache?" Jack asked. "Did you hit your head?"

"No, I did this myself. Yeah, I ran headfirst into a rock ledge," and Sawyer stopped being nasty because he didn't feel very well at all.

"You could have a concussion," Jack said seriously. "I can't let you go to sleep."

"What? Listen doc, I appreciate the General Hospital feel to this, but I really am fine. I just ran through the jungle from a giant monster that likes to fling dirt. I think I deserve some rest," Sawyer laid down angrily.

"If you fall asleep with a concussion, you may not wake up," warned Jack. "You could end up in a coma and with no way to feed you, you'd die."

Sawyer wish Jack knew exactly how much he would like to sock him right now. His head began to pound more severely and the thought of sleep was heavenly.

"Satine."

Looking up, Sawyer saw Jack reach forward and pull the girl into view. She had cleaned herself up and changed her clothes, but she still looked pretty banged up.

"You talk to him. He has a concussion, if he falls asleep he may never wake up. But he doesn't want to believe me," Jack stood angrily. "When you're ready, come find me and I'll test you every few hours to see if your brain is swelling."

Jack stormed off and Sawyer was left looking up at this girl.

"He's right," she said, kneeling. "I'm actually studying nursing and if you…"

"I don't need a lecture from a kid," Sawyer snapped at her, putting his hands over his eyes. "Especially not you."

She looked hurt but Sawyer didn't care. He just wanted sleep and it was the one thing he couldn't have.

"What do you want?" he demanded of her as she looked away. She looked back at him sadly. "Did you need something? Another pair of shoes, because I'm all out."

"No," she stood and brushed herself off. She'd found some shorts and an old t-shirt that was tied at the side. She looked almost cute. "I just came to say thank you."

He didn't answer her and her suspicions had been confirmed. He hadn't saved her to be kind, he had saved her because he had no choice. He didn't care, he was just like John. None of them wanted her here.

Slowly she began to walk away down the beach. She was too frightened to sleep, scared that whatever had been chasing her would come to find her. She had reached the shore when she heard Sawyer following her.

"I need to stay awake. Might as well walk," he said solemnly.

"John!"

Kate came storming towards him,

"You said you were going to talk to her!" she shouted at him, poking her finger into his chest as he stood at the door to the shelter. "You didn't say anything about leaving her in the jungle!"

"I didn't leave her in the jungle," John shook his head. "I knew exactly where she was."

"While she was out there, you were back here! She doesn't know her way around, and you knew she was in the Dark Territory!" Kate felt ready to hit him. "What were you thinking?"

"The island has tested all of us. Some of us passed, and some of us didn't. If she hadn't have passed, we never would have found her," John explained as though this made perfectly good sense. "She passed, the island accepts her."

"Accepts her? You're out of your mind," she almost walked away and then turned around. "You said to me that you'd find out who she was. Did you find out anything?"

"She's from Manhattan," he said, looking down at the knife he'd been sharpening. "And she's been hurt."

"Been hurt?" as much as she wanted to strangle him, she was curious.

"She didn't tell me but you can just tell by looking at her that whatever brought her here was rough. I'm almost convinced now that she watched her mother die because she hasn't said a word about her mother since we found her."

"How can we get this all out of her? Is there any way to jog her memory even more?" Kate questioned.

"Ana-Lucia searched the beach again for any more clues and she did find what looked like oil sitting in one of the low tide sand bars," he said, leaning against the door.

"Oil? How is that anything?"

"What would we use here that would leave oil in the ocean?" he asked her simply. She understood. "Either there was a larger boat not too far away, or someone was covered in it."

"But we found her yesterday. Wouldn't it have been washed out to sea?" Kate felt sure John had to be wrong. "I mean, oil doesn't like sit around."

"Yes it does. If someone dumped oil all over you and threw you in the ocean, especially these clear waters, the oil would come off. And the waves would wash it to the shore."

"What does it all mean?" her anger was gone replaced by worry.

"It means there's more to this story than we know."

Kate watched John's face, looking for any clue that he was leading her on. But he seemed serious and the fear just grew deeper. She didn't know why but everything about this girl perplexed her.

"What's going on?" Jack came towards the door.

"Nothing. We were just talking," Kate smiled at him. John bid them goodbye and went inside.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked. "You look pale."

"I'm okay. Everything was kind of rough tonight," she said, shivering a bit. He was awfully close to her.

"Yeah. Basically John left her in the woods by herself and that security system thing started chasing her. Sawyer saved her though."

"Sawyer?" Kate almost laughed. "I didn't think he was much of a hero."

"Well he saved her but he's not talking about it. And I'm pretty sure he has a bad concussion. I told him he should stay awake so I can test him every so often, but I don't know if he listened. Sawyer will do what he wants," Jack sighed.

Kate felt sure Sawyer would do what Jack said but not let him know about it.

"Listen."

Jack got very serious and moved closer to Kate. She could feel his breath on her and she found she was trembling.

"I don't know what's wrong with John. Something's the matter with him and he's scaring me. Don't go anywhere alone with him, okay? If he tries to get you to, come find me. We need to make everyone aware," Jack looked around to make sure no one else was listening. "And if you can, make sure he doesn't go anywhere alone with Satine either."

Kate nodded, looking at him. They were very close and for a moment, nothing happened. Then she closed her eyes.


	8. Chapter 8: Forget to Remember

Jack found himself walking the dark beach long after everyone else had gone to bed. It'd only been fifteen minutes since he'd kissed Kate, but it felt like a lifetime ago. Like something he'd done long ago and wished he could relive.

But he wasn't concentrating on that. Ana-Lucia had made several startling discoveries that morning, first the oil and secondly a suitcase had washed up on shore. It had been a long time since they'd found any more pieces of the wreckage. For the first few weeks, pieces would show up here and there because of the current carrying it in a circle around the island. Even in the jungle, pieces of the plane were still discovered almost daily. But now everything had been found, there were no new discoveries. And then came this one.

It was a plain black suitcase with many front pockets. The only problem was it was locked, and the lock was strong. No one really wanted to break it, which would have been easy. All you'd have to do was break the zipper. For some reason, everyone believed it to be disrespectful in case the owner had died in the crash.

Yet Jack had specifically not told Satine about the suitcase because he feared it was hers. It would explain a lot especially if she'd been thrown overboard a ship or cruise liner. Someone may have thrown her luggage to, possibly to disprove she'd ever been on the ship. He tried to figure out what anyone would have against that girl, but then again he didn't know everything. He would never have figured Kate to be a criminal when he first met her, yet even when he knew she still never did anything to prove it. People sometimes got into situations where the only way out was the bad choice and Jack knew that. He'd gotten into several of them himself.

He reached halfway up what they liked to call "their beach". It was where they'd crashed and lived for the past four months. Everyone mostly lived at the caves but occasionally on a particularly humid night people would sleep on the beach for the air. Jack never advised it because it was so wide-open it wasn't very safe. They didn't know everything about this island and couldn't trust that they knew everyone on it either.

Stopping, he looked out to the ocean. As always he hoped to see possibly a light from a steamer, or even smoke. Maybe he'd see a smaller boat skidding across the waves or even a fishing boat. But he never saw any of that. He only ever saw the horizon, which was now pitch black over the darker water.

There was what sounded like a yelp and he spun around. Looking up the shore he saw Sawyer's tent flapping in the wind. No light was on inside and it seemed motionless. The yelp sounded again but from opposite Sawyer's tent. It was only one hundred yards away but from where Jack stood he could clearly see someone covered in a blanket with a very rough tent over them only three feet off the ground.

Instead of a yelp this time there was a scream and Jack took off running towards it.

"Mom?"

The long passageway of the ship seemed to sway under her feet. She had only two drinks but they had been very strong ones. But how could she refuse when someone so cute offered her a drink? She wasn't much of a drinker especially because she was under age but tonight seemed to be a good night.

Trying to remember her room number, she stumbled along, feeling slightly nauseous. The ship was barely rocking but to her it felt like there were thirty-foot waves. She hit the wall and tried to clear her head, closing her eyes for a moment. This wasn't normal drunk.

Pulling out her card key she tried it in a door. The little light on the handle turned red and she cursed herself. She tried the next one and it did the same thing. Finally she tried one across the way and it turned green.

Pushing the door open, she saw the room was completely dark. Staggering inside and shutting the door, she felt along the wall for the light.

"Mom?" she whispered. "Are you asleep?"

There was what sounded like a very loud thump and then a gunshot. Satine screamed, jumping backwards and finally feeling the light switch.

Standing in between the two double beds was one of the men who had bought her a drink. He was extremely handsome with very dark tanned skin and brilliant brown eyes. The gun in his hand was smoking, pointed at the sheets of the bed, which were raised in a lump as though something was under it.

"What is this?" demanded a voice behind her and she spun and crashed into a very tall black man who, another one who had bought her a drink, had just exited the bathroom. From where she stood, Satine could see the housemaid who had brought her extra shampoo was lying on the floor of the bathroom motionless, her neck twisted unnaturally.

"MOM?" Satine screamed and felt a hand go over her mouth. The man standing by the bed ripped back the sheets through which he had shot a hole. A second scream left Satine's mouth that even the man holding her couldn't keep from echoing around the room.

"SHUT HER UP!" shouted the one by the bed.

"WAKE UP!"

Jack had run to her and saw she had knocked the tent down as she writhed and screamed, trying to free herself. But Jack knew she was still asleep, still dreaming and the screams coming from her were horrible. They were even worse than the ones she had issued when she'd first arrived.

"Satine!" Jack seized her arms to keep her from moving and she shouted even louder, squirming and screeching. Jack couldn't hold her and she rolled over, her eyes flying open.

"Mom?" she shrieked, scrambling to stand. Behind her, Sawyer had come out of his tent and was standing several yards away watching. "Mom?"

"Wake up," Jack said firmly, walking up to her and seizing her shoulders. "Satine, look at me! You're dreaming!"

She didn't speak, just panted for several moments staring at Jack with horror written all over her face. He knew she'd seen something horrible, knew she had been reliving whatever had gotten her here. She was hyperventilating and looking pale.

"Sawyer, get me a bag!" Jack shouted over her trembling shoulder. "Quick!"

Sawyer disappeared back into his tent as Jack took Satine by the arms and led her back to the blanket. She was staggering and her legs gave out and she fell, sitting hard on the sand. Her gasps were coming in too short, and she was turning white fast.

"She's hyperventilating," Jack said to Sawyer as he handed him a plastic zip lock bag. "She's not getting enough carbon dioxide."

Jack carefully put the opening of the bag over her mouth and she pushed it away. But he replaced it and she seemed to understand and held it there, her chest heaving. The bag inflated and deflated and her heaves became slower. Color began to return to her skin and she seemed to slow her breathing down and removed the bag.

"My mother," she whispered.

"Don't talk yet. Just breathe very slowly for a few minutes. Are you lightheaded?"

She nodded and Jack saw tears had been streaming down her cheeks. Her eyes were red as she looked at the pair of them kneeling in front of her. Sawyer hadn't said a word yet.

"You had a nightmare," explained Jack quietly.

"It was horrible," she croaked as her voice broke and she started to cry harder. "I…I remember what happened to my mother."

Jack and Sawyer exchanged a look and Sawyer stood. He didn't want to hear this, it wasn't that he wasn't interested. He surely would love to know what messed this girl up so bad but he had listened to his mother die, and knew it was no picnic.

"Wait," she said to him as he went to turn away. "Stay."

Looking back at her, Sawyer wished he could tell her he wasn't interested and just return to his tent but he couldn't. Sighing, he kneeled back down beside Jack.

Satine took several deep breaths but her head still felt dizzy. She closed her eyes and then opened them before starting.

"Someone shot her in her bed on the ship," she said quietly, tears still falling. Her voice shook terribly and she kept clearing her throat. "He…he shot her in the dark. I don't know why, maybe she was asleep. But when I turned on the light…"

"Okay, okay," Jack comforted her, rubbing her arm. She was sobbing hysterically and beginning to breathe heavily again. "You don't have to…"

"No. If I don't tell you…what if I forget again?" she looked at him with red eyes. "I want to forget it."

"Things like this will come back to you. It might be hard at first but you'll eventually get the whole picture," said Jack. He could feel Sawyer fidgeting beside him.

"They shot her and then knocked me out. That's all I remember," she said quietly, looking down. "But I know she's dead."

No one spoke. The wind blew hard around them and the trees rustled. It was late and Jack felt his eyes itch with tiredness. Sawyer straightened up and walked away without a word.

"He doesn't like me," Satine said to Jack when Sawyer had disappeared into his tent. "I think he's mad about saving me."

"Sawyer's a nicer guy than he acts," Jack reassured her. "Don't worry. He warmed up to us…after a while."

Satine nodded and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry for…being so weird. I don't know why it's coming back like this. It must be horrible for you. You don't even know me and here I am going into hysterical fits," she forced a laugh.

"No, it's fine. We all were kind of like this in the beginning. Claire, you know the one with the baby? She had nightmares like this before she had the baby and they scared us to death. But he didn't listen to her and she got taken for a week. She didn't remember any of it, even the crash, because it was so traumatic but it came back slowly. It's rough but you have to deal with it. You'll do fine," Jack nodded. He then remembered the suitcase. "Listen. We found some luggage. It washed up on the shore. I didn't know if maybe it went with you when you got lost."

Satine seemed to think for a moment and then looked curiously at him.

"Where is it?"

"I'll show you," Jack said, holding out a hand to help her up.

"Is Jack here?" Ana-Lucia asked Kate as she walked into the caves. It was late and mostly everyone was asleep except Kate, who was sitting up staring into a torch thinking.

"No. He…went for a walk," Kate mumbled, pulling herself back to reality. "What is it?"

"I opened the bag. It's not that girl's stuff, it's her mothers. I can tell from pictures in there she has of them both. I didn't want him showing it to her in case she went into shock or something," Ana looked around uncomfortably. "I just…didn't want to freak her out more than she already is."

Kate looked at Ana-Lucia and wondered if maybe being an outcast wasn't as easy as it was knocked up to be. Kate knew exactly how it felt and she still was one in a sense but Jack didn't fear her, and neither did some of the others. When Sawyer had first announced to the survivors who Kate really was, it was then that she realized how terrible loneliness really was.

But she still found no sympathy in her heart for Ana. Every day Kate had to look at Sayid, and see the hurt in his eyes. Every day she saw how he pulled himself around, without much of a purpose, walking like a zombie. She could see Shannon's young eyes everytime she looked at him and it killed her to see him like that. For that, Kate could not feel any emotion for Ana-Lucia.

"I'll tell Jack when he gets back," Kate said quietly.

"Okay, thanks."

She went to leave but stopped, coming back.

"Um, I know it's none of my business or anything…but…I was just wondering if you knew how Sayid was doing?"

Kate looked up at Ana and felt her heart skip. Was she really asking this?

"Not great," Kate answered coldly.

Ana looked down and Kate distinctly saw her eyes were shining. Of course she felt bad, it had been an accident. But Kate didn't want Ana-Lucia to break down right here. She didn't want to have to comfort this girl, because in her heart she truly didn't like her.

"Okay. I…was just wondering. I don't see him much," she nodded, forcing a tight smile as she swallowed hard. "See you."

Kate watched Ana go and then sighed, looking back into the fire.

"I guess someone opened it," Jack said, kneeling beside the black suitcase sitting on the floor of the cave. The zipper had been ripped open and several articles of clothing hung over the sides. Everything inside it was sopping wet.

When Jack didn't hear Satine say anything, he knew it had been a mistake showing her this bag. Turning, he saw her eyes as she stared down at the clothes inside.

"It's my mom's bag," she breathed, kneeling beside Jack. "These are her things."

She reached out and pulled up a wet blouse that dripped as she held it up. Her hands were trembling.

"I'll leave you alone," Jack whispered, standing and leaving.

"What are you doing?" Kate asked him as she came up to him.

"I was showing her the suitcase."

Kate's eyes widened.

"It's her mother's," Kate and Jack said in unison. They both raised eyebrows.

"Ana opened it. She wanted me to tell you that maybe you shouldn't let her see it yet. But I guess it's too late," said Kate, shifting uncomfortably.

"She had a nightmare. She's remembering. She saw how her mother died. Someone shot her in her bed on the cruise ship. Satine saw the whole thing and they knocked her out," Jack told Kate grimly. He looked very sad. "I don't know exactly what can be worse than reliving that."

"John hasn't really been around today," whispered Kate, seeing Satine going through the bag over Jack's shoulder. "I haven't seen him since you confronted him."

"Well, it's late. He probably made camp somewhere a bit farther off. He knows everyone thinks he tried to kill her."

"But did he?"

Jack looked incredulously at Kate.

"He left her in a tree in the Dark Territory," Jack said boldly to her.

"I know. But I've been thinking and…I talked to him after you two spoke. He thinks there was some kind of plot to kill her. And if someone wanted to kill her, it's possible she's not as innocent as she seems," Kate seemed very worried. She tried to hide the fact that her hands were shaking by putting them in her pockets. "I still don't trust her."

"No one does. We can't yet. But we can't let her suffer. We all went through trauma with the crash but she watched someone murder her mother and then someone tried to murder her. I heard about the oil. My suspicions are that someone was going to burn her mother's body…"

"Jack. Sshh," Kate hushed him, seeing Satine still going through the bag.

"Someone tried to burn her mother's body and then threw it in the ocean. I don't know why that would make sense. But they probably didn't have time to do anything to her so they dumped her over too while she was unconscious."

"It isn't coming together. None of it makes sense. We need more information," Kate sighed. "We need her to remember."

"We can't force it out of her. We'll have to wait."

"But what if we wait and she does something? She knew all that stuff about us and told us the French lady told her that stuff. We haven't seen her in almost two months, since before the raft. We all presumed she'd either died or went so far to the other side of the island the Others got her. But if she's telling the truth, she's bringing more danger to us. We don't know where that woman has been or who she's spoken to…"

"Kate," he took her by the shoulders and she stopped talking. He felt her shaking and gave her a concerned look. She looked away. "It's going to be okay. We'll find out as much information from her as we can and work with it. For now, just relax."

"We've sent one of our greatest protectors away," she whispered to Jack. "John may be a little crazy but he never would hurt any of us."

"You don't know that…"

"Yes I do," she pulled away from him. "I know that. I'm going to find him and bring him back. He makes everyone feel safer just like you do."

"If you bring him back you're putting us all in danger," warned Jack, pointing at her. "If you want to go tramping through the jungle at night, fine. But don't expect me to follow you to watch out for you."

"I never did," she snapped.

She turned to walk away and Jack called after her, but she kept walking.


	9. Chapter 9: Relate

The rain began to fall at about noon the following morning and continued on for several hours. This was unusual because here, rain could last five minutes or an hour, but usually abruptly stopped within that time. Everyone had run to the shelter of the caves or inside their tents, and the beach was soon bare.

Sawyer hurriedly pulled his belongings in out of the downpour. The sky was almost pitch black making it almost night. He lit his lantern and peered out.

The rain was falling in buckets yet through the blurry haze he could see someone sitting on the beach directly in front of his tent but right at the shore. The water was actually just touching this person as it swept in and out in rough tumbles, the storm knocking the sea about. Squinting, he tried to see who it was but couldn't figure it out.

"Hey!" he shouted. "You!"

The figure didn't move. A loud crack of thunder-sounded overhead and the rain seemed to blow sideways. His tent was shaking and whipping in the wind, barely held together by cheap twine and some glue. He knew he should just sit tight and for whoever was out there, it was their problem if they got struck by lightning or washed away.

But something kept Sawyer from lying back down. He couldn't stop staring through the rain at the figure, couldn't stop watching the motionless black outline through the rain. He had to go see who it was.

Stepping out, he was drenched immediately. Jogging across the wet, disgusting sand, he came up to the person sitting with their legs close to their chest, arms wrapped around themselves.

"In case you haven't noticed, this is a pretty bad storm," he shouted through the gale. "Why don't you get out of it?"

Satine looked straight out at the ocean as if she didn't hear him. The ocean swept up and Sawyer stepped back as it spilled over her feet and legs. If she sat here any longer, the receding sand would drag her out into the water.

He knelt beside her and looked at her face. Maybe she was having some kind of traumatic episode. He contemplated getting Jack but couldn't bring himself to, knowing the smug expression the doctor would wear when Sawyer asked him for help.

"You're going to get pulled out," Sawyer shouted at her, wiping the rain from his own face. It was falling in hard pellets that almost hurt. "Come inside."

"They tried to set her on fire," she said, her eyes blankly staring out at the ocean. "They tried to light the blanket she was wrapped in but it was flame-retardant."

Oh no, he thought. She was going to relive some traumatic event right here in front of him and he'd have to keep her from committing suicide once again. Sawyer tried to be kind as she kept talking and didn't roll his eyes.

"They shot her again because she was still alive," she spoke, her voice so low Sawyer had to bend closer to hear. The sand was sinking below them each time the water went in and out. Sawyer had to pull his feet out of the sucking sand every few seconds. "I saw it all. They thought I was unconscious….but I saw it all."

As much as he didn't want to, Sawyer could relate.

"They threw both of us in the raft because someone was coming. One of the boat securities was coming and they knew that if they shot me he'd hear. So they whacked me about the head, I guess hoping it'd kill me and threw me into the raft with…with my mother's body. I suppose they used the raft because if they didn't she'd get stuck in the propellers. And because they tried to wrap us in it, but it inflated."

He knew she was crying because her chest was heaving. But her tears mixed with the heavy rain on her face and Sawyer didn't know which was which.

"I was in the raft with her. She was wrapped in the blanket. And…covered in something they tried to burn her with. It was cooking sherry…something like that but it wouldn't light. She was bleeding into the raft…it was filled with her blood. I could see…I could see the ship going away…"

She was staring out to sea now with eyes so wide they looked ready to pop out of her head. She was breathing heavily and now Sawyer was almost ready to go get Jack, afraid this girl would hyperventilate again.

"They shot at us as we floated away…and…and got my shoulder," she touched her bandaged shoulder lightly. "But the raft…it was filled with blood. Blood, it was everywhere. It was all over me."

"Um…maybe we should go inside," Sawyer said, once again unsticking himself from the sand. The low waves were now almost pounding them and he knew that if they waited any longer they might get pulled out.

"She's dead because of me. I said I didn't want her with me. I said she should stay. If she had come…it never would have happened," she was sobbing so hard he thought she was going to throw up. "I…"

She stopped talking and just cried, her eyes still blank. Sawyer was unsure of what to do, both sides of his mind arguing with one another. Finally, he stood, wrenching himself from the quick-sand like sand and seized the girl's uninjured arm, yanking her to her feet.

"What are you…"

"I know what you've been through sucks," he said forcefully to her, rain now coming sideways at them. "I went through almost the same thing but I was only eight. I was only a kid when my papa shot my momma and then himself right on my bed while I hid underneath…"

"I had no…"

"Yeah well I don't go around telling the story in great theatrics," he snapped, shaking her slightly as he held her shoulders.

"But I got through it because I had to. I had to deal with it because if I didn't I'd end up like him…like the guy who did it to us. And I didn't want to. If you let it, it'll take you," he was breathing hard now, his heart ramming against his ribs. It was taking all his might to tell her this. "You can't let it take you."

"I wasn't supposed to be here," she shouted to him over the wind, which was now almost knocking them over. "I wasn't even supposed to be on that boat! This wasn't supposed to happen!"

"None of it was! But it did!" he screamed, almost furious at her. He shook her hard. "And it sucks but you just have to let it pass!"

"Maybe you can, but I can't!" she seemed almost weak as he held her shoulders, like she was about to collapse to the wet sand. "I…can't…"

She collapsed into sobs and he had to hold her up. She fell against him and wrapped her arms around him, and Sawyer didn't push her away. He let her stay like that and the wind whipped their hair and clothes around. The waves smashed into their hips but he let her sob into his rain soaked shirt.

Kate looked up as the rain suddenly subsided. Stepping over the large trunk on the ground, she turned off the path and started on a more unused path.

Everytime she thought about Jack, her insides boiled with anger. He had no idea who John really was, none of them did. But Kate knew that John was important to them surviving. Sending him off like this was more like suicide.

It also bothered Kate that Jack seemed so ready to put aside all of the other people on the island for this one girl. Yes, it was important to find out how she got here but Jack seemed so preoccupied with her he'd forgotten so many other important aspects. It infuriated Kate that Jack never once stopped to think that this girl could possibly be a spy for other people on the island.

She knew John would probably head towards where there were the best supplies, rich fruit trees and good hunting. She knew that was the inner part of the island and she'd been walking since early morning hoping to find any trace of him at all. The only clue she had found was the remains of a broken hunting knife. It looks as though it had gotten caught in either a trunk or a rock, and had broken off when someone had tried to pry it out. It had also scared Kate to death to imagine John having had to use one of his knives and it actually breaking.

Stopping, she sat down on a wet log and drank some water. She knew the possibilities of finding John were slim but if she could at least know where he was heading she could have someone help her track him down. He had to be insulted, possibly even mortified at what Jack had accused him of. John wasn't a weak person but he was also very intuned to people's emotions. If he knew people felt threatened by him, he would never stick around.

Reaching for her bag to replace her water, Kate felt something wet hit her neck. Reaching up, she wiped it away. But when she went to reach for her bag again, she saw her hand shining crimson.

Standing up she backed away and looked up.

Hanging from a branch of the tree above her was a blood soaked shirt torn completely to shreds. It hung from the neck hole where blood seemed to have spread from. It had once been white but no white showed now through the blood soaked remains of the piece of clothing.

Blood was dripping down, most likely with the recent rain. Kate felt nausea rise in her throat and turned away only to feel it return even worse when she saw what was on the ground. Stumbling backwards, she fell.

Jack found himself pacing the caves. Mostly everyone had left after the rain was done and he was alone once again. But he couldn't sit still. He had plenty to do, since the pool beside the caves had overflowed. He could dig trenches along the sides of their living area to drain the water. But instead he walked back and forth at the entrance to the cave, his mind reeling.

"Everything alright?" Hurley asked, coming up to the pool and sloshing through the mud with several empty bottles.

"Yeah," Jack mumbled, rubbing his neck.

"Um…I thought you should know, Sawyer said that girl had another like…breakdown last night…"

"Is she okay?" Jack snapped, rushing to Hurley who in fright dropped his empty bottles.

"Yeah, yeah, Sawyer was with her."

"Sawyer?"

"Yeah. She seems to like him. But anyway, yeah she was all like sitting in the ocean during the rain so I guess he pulled her out," Hurley knelt to fill the bottles. "I think she's good though. She was sleeping in Sawyer's tent last time I…"

Hurley turned and saw Jack was gone.

"What a friggin weirdo," he sighed.

Jack burst out onto the wet beach. People were gathering fallen debris everywhere. Tents were being reconstructed but Jack saw one of the tents remained standing.

He sprinted across the sand and came to a stop outside the tent.

Only Satine lay asleep inside, covered in a blanket. She seemed okay, peaceful even. Looking around, Jack spotted Sawyer at the entrance to the other path back to the caves.

"Hey!" Jack said, walking right up to Sawyer.

"Ya mind doc?" Sawyer said, zipping his fly. "I was kind of busy. Not really polite to walk up to someone while they're…"

"I know what you're doing and I think you're sick," Jack said.

"What, want me to find a porta-potty? It's free ground, doc!"

"Not that, you bastard," Jack shouted, poking Sawyer's shoulder.

"Poke me again," Sawyer growled, his eyes suddenly low and set. "And see what happens."

"She's eighteen. She's a kid and has just gone through a trauma. You're a…"

"I'm a what, spiderman? Huh? A pervert? A sicko? Come on, I'm waiting for a new nickname to add to the list!" Sawyer spat, starting back towards his tent.

"You're an asshole," Jack shouted.

Sawyer turned and faced Jack.

"That the best you got?"

"No, I've got more. I think that it's been so long that you saw someone who doesn't know who you really are and jumped at a chance to change your image for at least someone," Jack angrily shouted, knowing it would probably wake Satine. "Everyone on this island hates you and you wanted that to change."

"And what if I did? Is it a crime?" Sawyer laughed. "Sorry I'm not the heroic surgeon who ties people's insides up with some vine and then watches them die."

Jack launched himself towards Sawyer but stopped short when Kate came struggling out of the jungle.

"Kate?"

Jack rushed to her as she fell to her knees in the sand and started to cry. He grabbed her and looked her over. She didn't look hurt.

"What is it?" Jack demanded, his heart racing. "Did you find John?"

She continued to cry and took her pack off her back, unzipping it. Sawyer knew what she'd pull out before she even did, he'd seen it on her face. When she revealed the blood soaked t-shirt, the white shirt that seemed to be a symbol for John Locke, Jack let out a horrible moan.

"Where did you find this?" Sayid demanded five minutes later when they'd found him by the caves. He held the t-shirt in his hands, the blood turning his dark skin scarlet.

"It was hanging in a tree. I threw some rocks to get it down," Kate whispered, looking down. She hadn't said much since she'd returned. "And right by it was his bag but it was too heavy for me to carry and it was covered in blood too."

"We need to go find it. There may be a clue as to what happened to him," Sayid said, gazing around. They hadn't shown anyone else the shirt, afraid it would scare people. Jack tried not to imagine what had done that.

"It's possible he got injured and threw that up in a tree so nothing could follow him," Kate said hopefully, her voice very shallow.

"And leaving his bag would throw people off the trail?" Sawyer snapped.

"It's possible. John's a hunter. He knows how to do things. Maybe he was being followed…"

"But look how much blood is on it," Kate said, her voice cracking as she pointed to the shirt dangling in shreds in Sayid's hands. "How could he not be dead?"

"It rained last night. If there was even some blood on one spot of this shirt, the rain could have spread it. If you look here, the shirt has been shredded but it wasn't shredded while he wore it because there are no gash marks. If it had been torn to pieces while it was on him, he would have been hanging in that tree also," Sayid said. These weren't exactly words of comfort but they seemed to make Kate feel a little better. "We must send out a search party soon before it gets dark. If he is injured, he'll be easier to follow."

"It's my fault he left," Jack said quietly. "I'll go."

"Me too," Kate announced.

"You don't have to…"

"I want to," she snapped, not looking at Jack.

"Well, I'm in," Sawyer looked around at the surprised faces. "What? Since when have I been one to turn down an adventure? I did shoot a bear you know."

"Well, that makes four. That should be good enough. Gather some water and flashlights. I'll get some supplies in case we need to make camp for the night," Sayid said, stuffing the shirt back into Kate's bag and handing it to her. "We'll leave in twenty minutes."

Everyone nodded and Sayid broke off, heading away. Kate looked from Jack to Sawyer before heading off towards the trail. For a moment Sawyer just looked at Jack and then hurried away.

Jack reached his makeshift infirmary and packed up what he called his "medical bag" but what was really some gauze, weak antibiotics, and some peroxide. He knew that if John was hurt he might not be able to bring him back for treatment. Filling a water bottle, he was about ready to go when Satine appeared at the entrance to the cave.

She was slightly wet from the recent storm, but who wasn't? Yet she had the look of someone who had recently drowned.

"I want to go with you," she said firmly. He saw she had a bag on her shoulder, presumably one of the extras left from the wreckage.

"No," Jack flatly said. "We have four, that's enough."

"It's my fault he left. It's my fault he's hurt."

Jack turned and stared at her.

"Who told you?"

"No one. I saw the shirt," she whispered. "Kate kind of came running out of the jungle, wasn't hard to miss."

Sighing, Jack shook his head and started walking.

"You're still weak from the accident. You need to rest," he said as she followed him closely back to the beach.

"No I'm not! I'm fine," she retorted.

"You're not going."

"Who are you, my boss?"

He stopped and turned to face her.

"No, but I'm one of the few people on this island that gives a damn about you. Half of them think you're a spy or something from another part of the island here to watch us. How do I know you didn't hurt John?"

She was taken aback by this sudden accusation and stared wordlessly at him with her mouth agape. Jack seemed to realize what he'd said and shook his head, turning back around and continuing walking.

"Please," she pleaded, walking beside him as they came out onto the sand. "I've been completely useless the entire time I've been here. I've made trouble for everyone. Let me help on this one thing if it's the last thing I do."

He looked at her confusedly.

"Why would it be the last thing you do?" he asked her.

She looked down and then looked back up at him. Neither of them spoke and for a moment Jack wished she had died the night John had left her in the jungle. If they'd never found her, no one would have cared. They hadn't gotten to know her, and they still hadn't, but it made no difference. Things would have been different.

Feeling guilty at this thought, Jack sighed.

"Fine. But if you fall behind I'm sending you back," he said shortly. She gave a small smile and he tried hard not to return it, but he did. "Come on."

Kate saw Jack and Satine walking along the beach towards her, Sayid, and Sawyer and she knew the girl was going with them. Jack was easily persuaded and if anyone was going to get her way it was his new favorite. Kate pushed this thought away, realizing it sounded like she was jealous.

"Ready," Jack said. They all raised an eyebrow, looking from him to Satine. "She's coming to help. She'll be fine. Are we ready to go?"

Sayid nodded, looking unsure. They fell into step behind him and set off down a seldom used trail and disappeared into the jungle as the sun glittered above the horizon, almost like a smiling gem foreboding them.


	10. Chapter 10: The Warning

The four men carried the casket very slowly down the aisle of the church. No one spoke or said a word. Only the first four pews of the church were filled to the max, several stragglers sitting alone in long empty pews. Organ music was droning, echoing around the church as though a large choir was singing a lament of sadness.

Sawyer sat by himself in the last row. He had a cane clutched tightly to his side and watched without movement as the casket was laid down on the platform in the front of the church.

He didn't move during the entire vigil. When everyone had gone up to the closed coffin and said his or her good-byes, the church began to empty and only then did Sawyer move.

He limped stiffly out the church doors and onto the steps, gratefully lighting a cigarette. He removed his sunglasses and wiped them on his coat, blowing smoke out as though it were his grief. People were walking past him, glancing but not bothering to wonder who this stranger was.

"Sir?"

Turning, Sawyer was surprised to find a little girl of only about eight wearing a very fine black dress stood before him. The girl looked pale and slightly lethargic. Her tight blonde girls were gathered at her head in a bun.

"Thank you for coming," the girl said automatically, holding out a small hand. Obviously she had been told to say this to anyone she came across.

Sawyer shook the small hand and then removed the cigarette from his mouth.

"Are you James's girl?" he asked her, unsure.

"Um…my daddy's name wasn't…"

"Excuse me."

A voice came from behind him and Sawyer painfully turned too hard on his bad leg and winced, hissing slightly. He came to face a tall red haired woman with piercing blue eyes that looked very much like James's.

"Are you Sawyer?" she whispered, pulling the little girl closer to her.

Sawyer nodded, unsure of who this woman was.

"I'm Elaine. I'm James's sister," she said officially, not sounding sad or full of grief at all. She looked as though she were making a business deal in her fancy dress suit.

"I'm sorry," Sawyer said, nodding. "He was a great guy."

"Yes. Well I've heard your name several times in the police report but they say you were injured in the car-jack. Too bad they didn't get away with the car," her eyes narrowed and she held the little girl closer to her. "Well, I just wanted to tell you James spoke highly of you. Said you were a bit sketchy but a good guy."

"Thank you, ma'am," Sawyer knew she was bullshitting and knew what she was after.

"One other thing," she said as he went to limp away.

He turned to face her, replacing his sunglasses.

"I know what my brother was into. He was never a decent man but he knew how to make a living. He cared about his family and now his daughter is an orphan. I just wanted you to know, she's going to be living with family in Australia," said the woman.

"Wow, don't think you could get her any farther away. Were you first in line but too busy getting pedicures to take the kid?" Sawyer snapped, stomping out his cigarette and lighting another. "Or is yours here too much of a hassle."

"Don't tell me what to do," she barked, giving him a shove. He stumbled on the steps and almost fell but she didn't look concerned. "I'm telling you because I want you to know what you've done."

"I didn't…"

"You should be the one in that casket. You should be the one being buried tomorrow, not that man! Not my brother!" she was falling apart, tears falling from beneath her heavy sunglasses. Her large Sunday hat was obstructing the sun from shining on her face but Sawyer could see her struggling. "It should have been you!"

"You don't know anything," Sawyer whispered, trying to control his voice. "You don't know who he was, what he did."

"If I ever see you again, I swear to the Lord I will kill you. Do you understand me? I will kill you," she spoke so firmly that Sawyer believed it.

The woman stormed away, forgetting to pull her daughter's hand along. The girl looked up at Sawyer, those eyes piercing him. He almost wanted to shoo her but he was transfixed.

"Let's go, Satie!" shouted the woman.

"Have you ever been married?"

Sawyer was taken by surprise by this question and looked over at Satine who was walking next to him.

"Me?" he asked. She nodded. "No, I haven't."

"Why?"

Here come the questions, Sawyer thought

"I'm not the settling down type, kid," he said coldly, strolling faster but she kept up with him. He saw Jack glance back at them curiously.

"When I was eleven, I went camping with my uncle. He took us to this really great area of Pennsylvania where there were these wide open spaces that went for miles. One night I went out of the tent to get something and got lost," she was saying as she walked, looking far off. "I got so lost that I ended up walking five miles in the wrong direction."

"Nice one."

"Well, eventually my uncle sent out a search party for me. When they found me I was sitting in a tree asleep…"

Even Kate looked back this time but didn't say a word.

"A bear had been tracking me and if I hadn't climbed that tree, it would have torn me to pieces when I fell asleep," she said simply. "And my uncle kept asking me why I climbed it. I didn't have an answer because I honestly didn't remember climbing it."

Sawyer watched her carefully and saw she wasn't really watching where she was going in the dark jungle. She was too deep into her own memory.

"I remember, though. It came back to me last night. I climbed it because the tree had looked like a nest. I remember thinking it looked just like a big birds nest. And I was so tired and decided it was safer up there."

Sawyer didn't say anything and they walked on for about a mile before they sat to rest. Sayid was looking at the ground carefully.

"There are footprints here. It's possible they are Kate's from when she was looking for him but they look fresher than that," he said, straightening up. "I…"

He stopped talking when he looked at Kate, who was staring off into the jungle with a terrified look.

"Kate what…"

"Listen," Satine hushed.

They all were quiet and for a moment no one even breathed. It was so quiet Satine swore they could all hear her heart pounding.

"Is that…music?" Jack asked, standing and facing in the direction it was coming from.

"It's like…modern," Satine stood also, looking curiously into the darkness.

"It's moving away," Kate said hurriedly.

"Come on!"

Sayid took off towards the sound, his flashlight bobbing ahead of them as they followed. Jack had a torch lit and they watched it carefully as to not get lost but as they ran, Sawyer, Kate, and Satine eventually fell behind.

"Jack! Sayid! Wait!" Kate was shouting as she ran.

Kate stopped suddenly and Sawyer and Satine almost ran into her.

"What the…"

"Look."

She was pointing at an opening in the foliage. Through a small break in the trees was what looked to be a small fire, smoldering low in the embers of burnt wood. Kate walked slowly towards it, looking around it.

"There are footprints but more than one set," she said curiously. "And…"

"What?" Sawyer demanded, his chest heaving.

"There's blood on the ground," she whispered, looking from Sawyer to Satine. "Come on, we have to keep up."

They took off running again and this time they were able to get back into view of Sayid's flashlight and Jack's torch. They were moving fast ahead of them in the forest and all around them was darkness pressing in on them. Several times Satine stumbled and Sawyer caught her arm, keeping her from falling. When they reached the valley, all of them stopped.

Sayid and Jack stood in the middle of the vast open space, the torch burning high in the air as Jack held it up above him. Their figures were dark and black, and Sayid suddenly turned out the flashlight.

"Smolder that out," they heard Sayid demand of Jack, who immediately obeyed, smashing it into the dirt and stepping on it.

No one spoke and no one moved an inch. The only sound was the wind in the trees and a low rumble of thunder in the distance. Satine felt as though her heart was going to smash through her chest. Sawyer was standing close beside her, his hand still on her arm from when she had almost fallen.

In the distance was the music again but this time it was louder and much closer. Alongside it was what sounded like shouts, and then someone yelling an inarticulate strangled cry. Jack went to run forward but Sayid put out an arm.

"It's a trap," Sayid spoke, his voice carrying on the wind back to the three standing just on the edge of the jungle down a small hill. "Those are not real cries."

"It sounds like real cries," Satine whispered, her eyes wide as she stared into the darkness that seemed to be enveloping them.

"It's not. If it was a real cry, it would not cease so suddenly," Sayid looked back at them. "You stay here."

"No!" Kate said angrily, walking forward. "I'm going."

"Then you two stay!" Jack ordered.

"Oh come on, since when am I the official babysitter?" Sawyer complained loudly.

"SSH!"

Sayid shushed them again and this time the cry was louder and more forceful. But Sayid was right, it didn't sound like pain. It sounded like someone screaming as loud as they could.

"You will follow at a distance of ten feet," whispered Sayid, looking at them harshly. Even Kate seemed to be silenced by the look. "If we yell to run, you run."

They all nodded and Jack and Sayid started slowly across the valley. Above them rose the mountain, green and vast with clouds hovering over the top. The blue black sky seemed to taunt them, promising darkness for many more hours. Stars slid in and out of sight and the imminent rumble of thunder told them there would be another storm before the night was over.

Slowly they advanced, staying a distance away from the dark figures of Jack and Sayid. Sawyer could feel both Kate and the kid trembling beside him, almost shaking with both anticipation and fear. He wasn't that keen himself to be moving towards those horrible screams. It was evident someone wanted their attention.

They reached the opposite side of the valley and slid into the darkness of the jungle. In here it was harder to follow them, preferring to listening for their footsteps rather than watching their dark figures which seemed to blend right in with the twisting trees. For a while they walked like this, no one speaking or walking too fast. Then, the footsteps stopped.

Jack and Sayid stood about twenty feet ahead, through a particularly tight knot of trees. There was complete silent and then, seeming to eminate from the earth itself, there was an ungodly explosion.

Sawyer's hand was wrenched so hard from Satine's arm when they were thrown up and back that it twisted her arm painfully and she screamed. Kate came crashing through some brush and down a slight incline, landing hard in a ditch full of rotted leaves and foliage. For a moment the earth rained upon them and dirt and tree limbs seemed to crash around them. Then there was the silence.

"Where do you think they are?" Charlie asked Hurley quietly as they sat by a fire near the caves. Everyone was on edge having seen the group disappear into the woods, especially after not seeing John Locke for a few days.

"They probably found a Wal-Mart on the other side of the island and aren't telling us that we're living on the other side of some kind of resort," Hurley sighed sadly.

"What's a Wal-Mart?"

Hurley sighed and just looked around.

"I keep wondering if maybe everything is happening because of that girl," Hurley inquired, looking thoughtfully at Charlie. "Maybe she's bad luck."

"You're really superstitious," said Charlie flatly.

"No. I mean, ever since she got here Jack hasn't been seen like at all. Locke disappears, and now they're off running through the jungle at night. Since when has Sayid allowed anyone to go through the jungle at night?"

Hurley was right but Charlie didn't want to admit it. They stared into the fire without saying a word for a long time before Hurley finally spoke again.

"I hope there's a McDonalds in that Wal-Mart."

"Sawyer!" Kate rolled onto her side and pushed herself up, sinking into the leaves and soft dirt. She scrambled up the side of the incline and back up to where she'd been standing.

A clear hole had been blasted in the canopy and the surrounding trees. Branches hung smoking and the leaves on the ground were smoldering. Moonlight shone through the burnt and twisted canopy leaving a kind of circle of light.

"Jack!" Kate shouted, turning in a circle and seeing nothing but darkness. She searched the ground for a flashlight. "Sayid!"

"Over here!"

Kate rushed through the brush and towards the sound of Sawyer's voice. He lay coughing on his back amid lots of burning wood. She held out a hand and helped him up.

"Where's the kid?"

They searched around them, not seeing anything or anyone. They could only see a few feet around them in the pitch darkness.

"Jack and Sayid…" Kate breathed, barely able to contain her thrashing heart.

"They were right on top of it," Sawyer said, looking away.

Kate felt as though she were going to suffocate. She ran forward towards where there were smoldering leaves but Sawyer seized her arm.

"If there are other ones, you could set them off," he warned her but she pulled from his grasp and went running past the circle of moonlight.

"JACK! SAYID!" she screamed, turning in a circle. "Where are…"

Kate was cut short when the ground disappeared beneath her and she was falling, crashing hard into the dirt and falling to her side painfully.

"Kate!" Jack reached down and grabbed her hand, lifting her up. "You're okay!"

She couldn't contain herself and threw herself at him. She hugged him tightly, trying not to cry. Sayid was holding his arm tenderly and when she let go of Jack she saw they were under some kind of trap door. There was only about ten square feet of roughly dug room down here and the door had swung back shut after she'd fallen.

"Sawyer!" Kate shouted.

Sawyer was sure his eyes had been playing tricks on him. It were as though she'd disappeared into thin air. Where the hell had Kate gone?

Walking forward he listened. He could hear someone shouting but it was very muffled. Suddenly he stumbled and fell over what seemed like a vine but when an explosion was let off just beyond the trees, he covered his head.

"Sawyer!" Kate screamed, hearing the explosion.

"Where are you?" he shouted back, right above the trap door.

"There's a trap door! Step on it but jump back!" Sayid shouted through the thin layer of tightly woven branches and large leaves.

Sawyer stepped carefully and felt the ground become too soft. He pressed it hard with one foot and it swung down. Jack and Kate grabbed the edges of it and yanked hard, breaking the spring and making the two doors swing down uselessly.

"Can you throw us something and pull us out?" Jack shouted up.

"Where's the kid?" Sawyer searched all around him.

"Satine? She's not with you?" Jack said confusedly.

"No. I…"

"Get us a rope and we'll help find her," Sayid said through gritted teeth.

It took Sawyer a while to find a strong enough and long enough vine and still it was slippery with dew and hard to grip. He tied it around a nearby tree and held onto one of the ends.

Each of them climbed up and then Kate and Jack helped Sayid climb out. For a moment he lay on the ground, panting.

"You're arm might be broken," Jack said, looking carefully at Sayid's arm. Sayid flinched and drew back. "Or you could have sprained it."

"Where's the kid?" Sawyer repeated.

They all looked around and sure enough there was no sight of her. Sawyer had been thrown back and his grip on her had been broken. But she couldn't have flown more than a few feet.

"Perhaps there is another trap door," Sayid suggested, standing shakily.

"Wouldn't we hear her?" Kate asked.

"Not if she's unconscious," Jack breathed.

They all looked around, uncertain of what to do. For a moment none of them spoke and then a voice came out of nowhere.

"Go back."

They all spun around and facing them from down through the trees was John. His shoulder was cut up and bloody and he was bare chested with many bruises and scratches all over him. His eye looked swollen yet he glared at them blankly.

"John!"

Kate went to run forward but Jack caught her arm.

"Something's not right," Jack whispered to her.

No one spoke and they watched John, who didn't move either. He seemed eerie, almost as though it wasn't himself. His eyes were blank and staring yet he looked terrified beneath.

"Go back before it's too late," he repeated. His voice seemed to echo around them. "Don't return."

"John, you're hurt," Jack said carefully. "Let me help you."

"If you continue, they'll kill you."

His voice suddenly became normal and a look crossed his face that told them this wasn't a joke. Sawyer felt his insides raging.

"Where is she?" he shouted.

"I'm right here."

Satine came struggling out of a tight knot in the woods. Sawyer rushed to her and pulled her carefully into the clearing, not letting go of her wrist.

"You've been warned."

With that, John turned and started walking back through the jungle. He was obviously limping.

"JOHN!" Kate shouted after him. "No! John!"

"Kate, no," Jack was trying to hold her back. "They'll kill you."

"They will."

All eyes turned to Satine and she was looking at them horribly.

"They just had me...and let me go," she whispered, looking back through the trees.

The only sound was the music fading eerily into the jungle, and the sound of the trees whispering.


	11. Chapter 11: Torn

"What'll it be?"

Sawyer sat quietly at the bar. He hadn't ordered a drink in the twenty minutes he'd been there because he'd been staring off into space. Now the bartender approached him looking confused.

"Oh…uh just a scotch," Sawyer mumbled, taking a deep breath to bring him back to reality. "Jesus it's hot out there."

"Yep, it is," the bartender gave him a smile and put the drink in front of him. "What're you doin' round these parts?"

Sawyer glanced around the almost empty bar. It was only two in the afternoon and only three other customers were there, one at the bar and two at a table. He loosened his tie and gave the bartender a raise of his eyebrow.

"Rough day?" the bartender began cleaning glasses.

"A bit," Sawyer nodded, downing the drink in one gulp. "Another?"

"Comin' right up," the bartender went behind the bar to find another bottle.

"Looks like you either just got married or climbed out of a casket," said a voice behind him. Turning, Sawyer was face to face with a very short man with bulky stature but a gleaming bald head.

"Yep," Sawyer was extremely irritated. "How about you?"

"Oh, I'm just hangin' around here. I've been looking for someone but they didn't show up today," the bald man remained standing at Sawyer's right shoulder and Sawyer gripped the handle of his cane tightly. "Didn't seem to want to show his face."

"Oh really," Sawyer downed his second drink and turned to face the man. "And why is that?"

"Because he's a stinking coward," this tiny man growled.

"Really and that makes you what, the representative of munchkin land?"

"No," laughed the man. "It makes me angry."

The punch his Sawyer on the left side of his head and he tumbled backwards off the stool, landing hard on his back, his leg falling painfully to the ground with him. His cane rolled away and he scrambled up to turn to face this man.

"Friend of James?" Sawyer spat, wiping the blood from his head. "Or just angry bystander?"

"You only wish I was a friend," the man swung again but Sawyer was faster and tackled him to the ground. The bartender was shouting that he was going to call the police.

The man got a hold of Sawyer's cane and for a moment they wrestled and Sawyer could smell this small man's breath, laden with tobacco and beer. His head was sweating and shining in the light of the bar, and for a moment Sawyer swore he saw tears in this man's eyes.

The sharp tip of the cane was suddenly against Sawyer's throat and he stopped struggling.

"Who are you?" Sawyer demanded, both hands holding the end of the cane to keep it from pressing onto his throat.

"Leave the country," demanded the bald man, pressing even harder. "Get out now."

"Why? I didn't do anything," Sawyer said, pushing even harder as it was pushed back down.

"You will be killed within a week if you stay. I am warning you now to get out and not come back."

Sawyer could see in this man's eyes that he was not joking. After several moments of silence, he released the cane and threw it to the floor, stepping up and buttoning his jacket.

"Take my advice, Sawyer," the bald man nodded, picking up a briefcase.

He left through the door without another word. When the sunlight disappeared behind the closed door, Sawyer scrambled up and grabbed his cane, limping fast out the door.

A blue car was pulling away from the bar and back out towards the road. In the backseat was the little girl whom had spoken to Sawyer at the wedding. She looked out the back window with eyes that would never leave Sawyer.

"Did they say anything?" Sayid asked Satine, hurrying up to her still cradling his own arm.

"No," she said shakily, rubbing her wrists. "They blindfolded me and tied me up. I heard you talking to John."

"Why? What are they doing?" Jack demanded angrily.

"I think they're mad that we haven't stayed on this side of the island."

The three of them looked at Satine confusedly and she suddenly realized she'd said something she shouldn't have.

"What?" Jack asked, leaning closer to her.

She shook her head and tried to turn away but Jack seized her arm.

"You know more than you're telling us. I think you remember the entire thing from the moment you got on that boat until you got here. I think you've been lying to us," Jack held her arm tightly, his face inches from hers as he spoke through angry, gritted teeth. "You've been lying and you're with them!"

"Jack!" Kate tried to pull him back but he shoved her.

"What do you know? You know something, tell us!" Jack was holding both her arms, speaking hard into her face. She stared at him in awe. "TELL US."

"Stop!" Sawyer shouted, wrenching Satine away from Jack. "Leave her alone!"

"What? Are you suddenly her protector now?" Jack snapped at Sawyer. "John is lost now. We're not going to get him back and it's because of _her_!"

"Hey!" Kate grabbed Jack's arm and wrenched him around so he faced her. "Stop blaming other people! We have to figure something out!"

"There is nothing to figure out! It's over!" Jack shouted, stalking away. "They've taken yet another one of us! First Walt, now John. Sooner or later they'll take us all!"

"Jack!" Sayid hurried after him.

Kate, Sawyer, and Satine stood in the clearing where the explosion had gone off in silence. Satine was wiping her eyes, looking downcast.

"He's been through a lot. This…we thought this island was deserted," Kate seemed to feel the need to explain this to Satine. "Someone doesn't want us here."

"I don't want us here," Sawyer replied.

"We'll get John back," Satine whispered quietly. "We will."

"How do you know?" Kate asked.

"Because he's the one who is going to save us."

Sayid hurried to keep up with Jack but his painful arm was slowing him down.

"Would you please wait?" Sayid repeated, jogging along.

"This island doesn't want us. We aren't wanted here. It's killing us off slowly, taking us in. John was right. The island itself brought us here but not for anything good," Jack was rambling as he walked quickly, blind in the darkness of the jungle. He reached the valley and stormed across it, Sayid at his heels.

"John can take care of himself," Sayid said, able to walk in pace with Jack now.

"Not with his shoulder like that. I could see it clear as day. He'll be dead in a week without antibiotics," Jack spoke coldly and sharply. Sayid was surprised at Jack's insensitivity.

"We don't know what they have. They could have a whole hospital over there and we wouldn't know it," for a moment Sayid almost wanted to believe what he was saying. "We failed this time but we can try again."

"I'm not trying again. We could have been killed in those explosions. That's what they're for, to keep us out," slowing a bit, Jack walked more carefully as they entered the other side of the valley and wove deeper into the jungle. "Just like that security system."

"They were here first but that doesn't mean they have more than us. They're obviously not stranded here because they have a boat. They choose to stay here. There must be a reason why," Sayid insisted. He was holding his arm tightly and Jack felt sorry that he'd gotten injured but his mind was quickly drawn away from it.

"It doesn't matter. We're all going to die, just like Boone did. Just like Walt was taken. We don't know what happened to Walt, we don't know if Michael is even alive. All of this…it's because of the…"

"And you're saying the island killed Shannon?"

Sayid had stopped walking directly in front of Jack, facing him with stern eyes. Jack looked at Sayid but looked away.

"No one can look at me anymore. Everyone looks away. I know it is because of Shannon, and I know it's because everyone feels bad. But you are telling me that all along the island knew Shannon would die here along with her brother," Sayid demanded, breathing hard.

"I…"

"It's what you said. Well, Shannon did not die because the island wanted her to. She died because of an accident. I've accepted it, and I do not fear this place like everyone else does. It is nothing but a piece of land! It is all them that are doing it! They, the ones who have taken the children, who have taken people who should be trying to survive with us! We came in on their territory. In war, you invade other places to seize the land. Here, they are seizing us."

Jack stared wordlessly at Sayid who stared right back. All the hurt Sayid was feeling seemed to transfer into Jack and there was nothing to say. Jack nodded, looking down and away once more. Sayid just turned and continued walking.

"Is Jack right?" Kate asked Satine as they walked back across the valley. "Do you remember it all?"

"Yes," Satine said quietly. "I remembered it all that night it rained."

"What do you remember?" Sawyer asked.

"No! Let me go!"

Someone hit her again, hard, this time on her side and she had the air knocked from her, falling to the deck of the ship. Beside her lay her mother wrapped in a blanket tied with duct tape.

"Here," said one of the voices above her and something was being poured over the blanket beside her. It smelled horrible. "That should burn it."

"Sshh! Listen!"

Satine lay facedown on the deck, the warm wind blowing her air around her sweaty and bloody face. Through the ground she felt footsteps coming. Oh please, she begged, come find me.

"Quick, wrap them in this," hissed one of the men. They assumed she was unconscious, probably close to death from the beating.

Something yellow was draped over them and for a moment there was no movement around her. She couldn't see and when she did try to open her swollen eyes she saw only the yellow tarp above her.

Suddenly she was pressed very closely to the vodka covered blanket. She turned her head away, letting out a moan.

"She's still alive," snapped one of the men.

"Light it and thrown it down."

She was suddenly lifted as though rolled in a bun. She was pressed against her mother's dead body and blood began to soak through the blanket and onto herself. She couldn't struggle, her arms pressed too tightly against her sides.

The air was cold as she flew through it but when she hit the water it was like nothing she'd ever felt before. It hit like a brick wall and her whole body seemed to be in pain. She couldn't breathe and felt herself sinking but suddenly, something burst very close to her, painfully crashing into her head. The wrapped body of her mother was still against her and she was being pulled very fast back to the surface.

The raft had inflated when it hit the water from the impact. Satine felt herself surface and she sucked in a big breath of air before being plunged back into the ocean again.

This time she treaded water through the pain in her body. Looking up at the sky, she saw a million stars whirling above her. The raft finished inflating and Satine saw her mother's body had remained in it.

Swimming over, she grabbed the side and lifted herself in, collapsing onto the soaked bottom. Looking up, she saw the enormous cruise ship was there. It was no farther than a few yards away but it was moving fast.

"Shoot her!" shouted a voice.

Gunshots rang out and she saw the water around the raft explode in tiny bursts. Shrinking back, she didn't have anywhere to hide and when the bullet hit her shoulder she screamed.

But the boat was moving farther and farther away. And she watched it go without saying a word.

Turning to the wrapped body beside her, she could see where her mother's head was, duct tape wrapped around the neck to keep the blanket on. She was wrapped from head to foot, only one large darker spot of blood where she'd been shot.

For a moment Satine did nothing but lay there, motionless as the pain swelled from her bleeding shoulder. It filled the three inches of water on the bottom of the raft, turning it scarlet. She did not let herself touch the wrapped body beside her. She lay motionless, the pain throbbing dully as he mind began to erase the entire event.


	12. Chapter 12: Unfixable

Sawyer came up to the counter of the airport and smacked down his ticket. He had a blinding headache and he was ready to punch the next person who came up to him.

"ID please, sir," said the Australian woman, looking curiously at his weary face.

Fishing out his ID, Sawyer handed it to her and looked around. It was pretty crowded and hundreds of people rushed around with bags, drinks, and strollers. Sawyer pitied a poor man holding two kids in his arms and one clutching his pant leg.

"Thank you," said the woman, handing him back his plane ticket. "Your gate is to the left."

Nodding, Sawyer turned and almost fell right over a versace bag lying right beside his feet. He stumbled and caught himself on the counter, but his bag went flying and opened, his clothes flying everywhere.

"Hey!" shouted an angry woman with a large blue hat on. "That's my bag!"

"It was under my feet!" Sawyer snapped at her as she quickly grabbed up the purse and held it tightly to herself.

For a moment Sawyer stared, unsure of what to say or do. It was James's sister, and there she stood right behind him on line for the ticket counter.

Sawyer barely breathed and then began to walk away as the woman started arguing with the woman at the ticket counter.

"Jack."

Kate found Jack sitting by himself on the beach. The sun was just coming up and everyone was still asleep. He sat on the far side of the beach closer to the peninsula, just staring at the ocean.

"Hey," she said quietly, sitting beside him.

He didn't move or answer. He just sat there staring.

"Um…Satine kind of gave us the whole story," Kate began, hoping Jack would get more interested. "She remembers it all."

"That's good," Jack whispered, his eyes blank.

"She said they were supposed to fly to Los Angeles but their plane got cancelled so her mother decided to surprise her with a cruise," Kate began, hoping Jack was listening so she wouldn't have to repeat this. "And on the boat some guys really liked her and kind of stalked her. But she was able to brush them off. They killed her mother and she doesn't know why. All she knows is that they knocked her almost unconscious and wrapped her mother's body in a blanket. They doused them both with oil or alcohol or something and threw them in the water. When the raft hit the water it inflated and she was okay but got shot as they ship went away."

She said this all very fast and had to take a deep breath. He was still staring and didn't seem to be listening.

"Jack. Please talk to me. I know you feel terrible about Locke but…"

"I found her mother's body."

Kate felt as though someone had punched her.

"What?"

"Her mother's body washed up an hour ago on the beach. I was able to hide it but I need help burying it," he said, turning to face her. Kate saw he looked almost ghostly, huge circles under his eyes with pale skin contrasting his dark eyes and hair. "I don't think she should see it."

"But maybe she wants to. She seems pretty okay," Kate insisted.

"She's not okay. Now that these memories are coming back she might just lose it even more. She'll act normal but next thing you know she's back to screeching and running into the water," he looked almost angry, his brow furrowed.

"Jack…"

"No," Jack took a deep breath, steadying his chin. "Michael and Walt are gone. I can feel it. But John isn't, John is still alive. I can't…I can't just let him die."

"If you go after him you're going to get killed then both of you will be dead. If we leave him be, they'll probably take care of him. He's no use to them dead," she whispered, but he looked at her coldly.

"He won't last another few days injured like that!" Jack spat at her, his eyes blazing. She leaned back a bit. "He'll be dead."

"He'll be fine…"

"He won't be fine!" Jack now was beyond tears, the anger pulsing through him like poison. "I can't fix this! I usually can fix everything but I…I just can't."

He's accepting defeat, Kate thought sadly. He wasn't going to get through this easily but if he kept going he might just blame himself for everything more. Jack always wanted to help someone, to save whoever was injured. Now he had to admit he'd failed. He couldn't help John and had been the one who had sent him away.

Kate wasn't sure what to say and looked down.

"I'm going back," Jack said, standing up and wavering slightly.

"But why would anyone kill someone like Shannon?"

Sawyer sat on his makeshift beach chair with a book in his hands with Satine sitting on the sand beside him. He looked down at her after having told the story about Sayid and Shannon.

"It was an accident," he said quietly, going back to his book. "And don't tell Sayid I told you."

"Do you think Michael and his son are okay?" she asked him, playing with the sand with her hands. "I just… I feel like I knew them but I know I didn't."

"Michael can take care of himself and if his boy is around nothin' is gonna stop him," Sawyer sighed.

"They're black, right?"

Sawyer looked at her confusedly.

"Yeah but I don't remember saying that," he inquired.

She just smiled at him.

For Sawyer, at first he thought this kid wouldn't leave him alone because he rescued her from the big bad monster. For the next week straight she was up his behind, but for some reason he couldn't tell her to go away. It wasn't that she was annoying. She didn't talk very much, only to ask very simple questions about the people on the island or a certain aspect of their lives. She found it hard to believe they were there forty days and didn't once see the hatch or hear someone living below their feet. She also was fascinated by the fact that some of them had survived without a scratch while others were completely torn to pieces by the crash.

Her favorite thing to ask about, though, was the people who had died on the island of non-natural causes. She made Sawyer repeat Boone and Shannon's story several times before she was satisfied, and she almost gagged when Sawyer explained about Arnzt exploding from the dynamite. But when Sawyer explained that they'd lived there without knowing the tail of the plane had landed on the other side, she was completely awed.

Jack on the other hand had quickly buried the now partially wrapped body and covered the grave well somewhere in the jungle. Kate knew it had bothered him that something of Satine's story was true. As hard as she tried she couldn't get him to talk to her, to come to terms with everything.

John wasn't seen, and life continued. The castaways would occasionally wonder where he went but when his name was mentioned, a tense silence ensued. John had been liked, and had been crucial to them. Everyone missed him but no one so much as Claire.

Two weeks from the day Satine had arrived on the island, Sayid was sitting by the caves working on some electrical equipment he thought he could use as a battery for their lantern that had long gone dead. He didn't hear Sawyer come up behind him.

"What are you working on?" Sawyer asked, sitting beside Sayid on the rocks.

"Hopefully this will be a battery since the cable runs from inside the hatch. We have electricity in there but we need it out here too," he said, still fiddling with it. His arm was wrapped but had thankfully not been broken.

"We've got tons of flashlights and batteries down there. Why are ya fiddlin' with this?"

Sayid looked up at Sawyer and for a moment Sawyer understood and wished he'd kept his mouth shut. It gave Sayid something to do, something to think about. They had long given up trying to work the transceiver and there was nothing mechanical to work on now that everything came from the hatch.

"So…what do you think of the kid?" Sawyer said quietly, checking around. Satine had gone off to find Jack to tell him something. Sawyer had taken his chance and hurried off.

"Kid?" Sayid didn't look up.

"Ya know. Satine?"

Sayid laughed. "Satine is hardly a child. She's eighteen!"

"I know. But what do ya think of her? Does she creep you out?" Sawyer hurriedly whispered.

"Well, she does seem to posses some abilities to make people uncomfortable but there is nothing wrong with her. She has proven to be a nice girl," Sayid gave Sawyer a nod and continued fiddling.

"Yeah, I suppose. But it's like…when she's around she kinda keeps it all in focus. Like she knows so much that if ya didn't have her around you'd be stupid to the world," Sawyer explained, hating himself for acting like this but it'd been bothering him for two weeks. "Even now just walkin' away from her I felt like I was walkin' away from some kind of weapon I should be holdin' onto. Like putting your gun down during battle."

Sayid slowly looked up at Sawyer with raised eyebrows and Sawyer just shook his head and stood.

"Nevermind. Go on playin."

"Jack, look who's coming," said Kate quickly.

Satine was marching across the sand very quickly towards where Jack and Kate had been fixing the water tarp. Close on her heels was Ana-Lucia.

"Where is it?" Satine demanded, stopping right in front of Jack. Jack shot Ana a look.

"I don't know how she know she knows. She just came up to me and started to ask!" Ana pleaded and Kate wished she'd just leave.

"I can see her!" Satine snapped at Ana. She turned back to Jack. "I don't know how, but I can see her. Where did you bury her?"

"Satine, we didn't tell you because we knew you'd be upset," Kate said kindly. "We were going to tell you when you'd had more time to grieve."

"I haven't been grieving because I didn't believe she was dead," Satine hissed at Kate and they saw her hands were trembling horribly. "I didn't remember it!"

"We wanted to make sure you wouldn't have another breakdown," Jack insisted.

"I don't need you deciding for me. I want to see it now!"

They all looked at each other and Jack nodded.

Sawyer walked slowly through the jungle. He'd never before felt so confused. Sayid hadn't helped by giving him a skeptical look. Now he felt even more confused.

He'd meant what he said about Satine. When she was around it felt like he knew the world, like he had a window into another dimension that gave him access to anything he wanted. She was almost like a good luck charm that if you lost, you felt hopelessly cursed. But she was just a kid and he didn't know why this was.

Yet the longer she was here, the more he saw himself in her. He'd lost his parents young and for a while thought he was okay. Into his teens he thought he'd accepted it, thought he could just hate the man who did it and move on. But it isn't how it works. She was okay now but in a few months time she'd begin to wonder what had happened. It'll come back to her every day and haunt her, and she'll ask why. It is the horrible question that stuck with Sawyer every day of his life afterward. It was why he became a con-man and why he cheated out so many people including the one person he thought he loved.

Sawyer could see what was ahead for Satine and it scared him. It scared him that they might get rescued before she hit that point and that she'd be alone when it hit her. If she was, he didn't doubt she'd either try to kill herself or give herself up to drugs or sex. It made sense for a girl like her. She was so nice and had the world going for her. Now she was left with nothing.

Still feeling lost, Sawyer turned left and headed back towards the beach.

"You didn't mark the grave," Satine whispered, standing above a different colored mound of dirt in a small opening in the jungle. It was slightly raised but other than that seemed to blend in. "You didn't write anything."

"I was going to wait for you to do that," Jack said, backing up. He felt Kate put her arm through his.

Satine just looked down for a moment at the grave, not saying a word. Her eyes were blank and she didn't seem to see it.

"Thank you for showing me," she said quietly, turning to face them. "I appreciate it."

They nodded and she turned and headed off into the jungle.

"She's holding it in," Kate said quietly. Ana-Lucia had stayed at the beach to finish fixing the water tarp so they were alone in a small opening in the forest.

"Eventually she'll have another breakdown. She talks to Sawyer a lot so I'm hoping he's listening so it's not so hard on her when it hits her," he sighed. "I wish I could fix it for her."

"You did. She needed to see this," Kate felt suddenly very sad towards Jack. "You helped her a lot."

"I can't stop her from mourning, though. Mourning is the worst part," he was staring at the mound of dirt. "It eats you inside out."

"We'll be there for her," she insisted, turning him to face her. "I know you relate to her. But you're not her. Let her grieve for her mother but don't you start grieving too."

"I'm not grieving," Jack retorted, suddenly defensive.

"Stop," Kate begged. "For once can you not snap at me?"

They were close and for a moment just looked at each other. Jack bent down and hugged her tightly. Kate was stiff for a moment, surprised but she loosed and let him hold her. She knew he was holding her for his father, his ex-wife, and even Boone, Shannon, and Locke. He'd lost so many, been unable to perform miracles on them. And he was holding onto Kate because she was the one miracle he had left.


	13. Chapter 13: Sacrifice

Satine collided so hard with Sawyer, who had simply been strolling along the path, that both of them fell to the ground hard from the force.

"What the hell…"

"I'm sorry!"

Satine hurried to stand and held out a hand for Sawyer who ignored it and climbed to his feet. He brushed himself off and stopped when he looked at her. She was crying.

"You okay?" he asked curiously as she tried to hide it and wipe her eyes.

"Yeah…"

"So you were running through the jungle crying because everything is okay?" Sawyer questioned, rubbing his sore shoulder.

She remained silent and just kept wiping her face, turning away from him. He felt sorry but not sorry enough to ask what was wrong. He had learned from experience that just asking that question could make things worse.

"Um…Jack found my mother's body," Satine said quietly in a shaking voice. "He buried it without telling me."

"Oh man," Sawyer sighed. "That sucks."

"Yeah, it does."

They were silent, standing in the middle of the jungle alone. The sun was going down and it was getting darker under the cover of the trees.

"Who is that?" Satine asked suddenly.

"Who?" Sawyer looked around.

"That guy, that black guy," she said, pointing towards a patch of trees.

Sawyer spun, his heart leaping into his throat. He searched around him. Michael? Was it possible she had just seen Michael?

"Where?" he demanded. "Point!"

She pointed directly across from where they stood over a larger mud puddle. Sawyer stared around hard, positive he was missing him or something. But there was no one where. Slowly, Sawyer looked back at her. This girl was nuts.

"I swear he was there," she said confusedly, looking very tired. "He disappeared."

This girl was beginning to make him feel very uneasy.

"Let's head back," he said, turning towards the beach.

"Wait!"

He froze, waiting for her to say something or do something but she didn't. He stared at her, almost annoyed. Then she pointed.

"Walt!" Michael croaked as he stumbled out of the brush and onto the path. Sawyer felt his jaw drop as Michael came stumbling towards them, his shirt gone, his pants torn to pieces and filthy. His beard was long and a large nasty looking wound was across his chest.

Sawyer was frozen unable to move or speak. Only after Michael let out one last cry of his son's name and collapsed to the ground did Sawyer move.

"We need to talk."

Kate turned and saw Ana-Lucia standing at the door of the computer room where Kate sat in front of the computer, her shift dragging on forever. She had been staring at the blank screen thinking deeply when there'd been a knock.

"Sure," Kate said, sitting up. She pointed to the stool across from her. "Sit down."

Ana came in and sat down on the stool looking very uncomfortable. She was rarely in the shelter, and only came down for necessary things. Many of the survivors had made friends with her, but she still kept her distance unless she was talking to Jack.

"I think that girl is up to something," Ana said quietly, her eyes occasionally flashing to the door. "Her and Sawyer are always together and…"

"Stop right there," Kate held up a hand. "Sawyer already told us nothing is going on."

"No! Not like that. I mean, she knows all this stuff about us but the only person she ever tells about it is Sawyer. Maybe it's not her making it up, maybe Sawyer is feeding it to her…"

"Are you saying Sawyer is telling her everything about us?" Kate demanded, feeling offended.

"Maybe. He knows everyone pretty well and is in everyone's business. Maybe he wants her to be his accomplice or something. You know him, how he scared us with the guns…"

"He still has them," Kate snapped. "He just doesn't use them on us. He agreed not to, but he's not letting just anyone have them."

"See? He can get whatever he wants so if he has a problem with someone he can use Satine to…"

"I've heard enough," Kate crossed her arms, feeling disgusted. "I won't sit here and listen to you accuse Sawyer of this. Sawyer is an asshole, and deserves to be knocked around a bit for everything he's pulled but I don't believe he'd hurt anyone."

"How do we know anyone at all?" Ana replied, sounding like she was desperate for someone to believe her. "This girl came here and the first thing she said to me was that she was sorry. I didn't know what she meant, and I only found out later when she asked if it was a boy or a girl."

"What?" Kate asked confusedly.

"It doesn't matter. But she knew something that I had never ever told anyone on this island. No one here knew. So unless she's some kind of psychic, then…"

The door to the shelter suddenly burst open and Sayid came flying in.

"Michael's back!" he gasped. "Where's Jack?"

Slowly, Jack climbed down from the rock, continuing on past the larger boulders he'd been trying to avoid below. He'd only been walking for an hour and was glad it was getting dark. If anyone started a fire he'd be able to see it from up here.

He hadn't been lying to Kate when he told her he would find John. Jack knew he couldn't go trekking through the jungle by himself but he knew that if he climbed the rock wall facing their side of the island he could see any smoke rising from within five miles. They would have to light fires if they didn't have electricity and if they did have electricity, he'd probably see the light.

Sitting on the highest point of this hill, he looked down and felt slightly dizzy. It was extremely steep and he knew he'd be dead before he even stopped at the bottom if he fell. Raising his eyes to the horizon he watched the sun sink slowly below the trees before standing up, his heart racing in his chest. A thin line of smoke was rising from what looked like only a half mile from the hill, rising from the middle of the unoccupied part of the jungle.

"Where's Jack?" Sawyer demanded as he and Sayid struggled to drag the unconscious Michael over to the infirmary part of the cave.

"We don't know!" Hurley exclaimed, backing up a bit at the sight of the blood. "Oh man, that doesn't look good."

"Walt!" Michael gasped weakly, not opening his eyes.

"We need Jack," Sun said, trying to keep Michael from rising. "Kate!"

Kate and Ana-Lucia were slower following Sayid and arrived at the cave just then.

"Where is Jack?" Sayid demanded. Michael was waking up slightly and trying to sit up.

"He…went to look for John," Kate whispered, her eyes on Michael's wound on his chest. It looked like he was slashed at with a rough weapon.

"Do not move," Eko had arrived and knelt beside Michael. He looked over Michael's chest with wide eyes. "He needs water."

"I'll get it," Charlie jumped up and hurried away.

"I can go try to find him," Kate said, beginning to walk away. "I'll run and try to find him, he couldn't have gone far."

"I'll go with you," Sawyer stood.

Jack walked slowly through the jungle, careful not to leave the straight path he'd planned towards the smoke. On the ground he couldn't see it through the canopy but he hadn't even looked left or right since climbing down. It looked to be coming from an area just south of the valley.

He came to the valley and stayed along the side of it, picking up his pace and running parallel to the line that separated their part of the island from the other. Reaching the highest hill, he could now only see the faint glow of a small fire somewhere beyond the trees. His heart lifting, Jack began running harder and faster towards it and was only a few feet beyond the border of trees when someone tackled him hard to the ground.

In defense, Jack turned over quickly and threw the person aside, standing as fast as he could and pulling out his knife.

"John?" Jack breathed, seeing John lying on the ground where Jack had flung him. John slowly climbed to his feet, panting. His shoulder looked worse now, definite signs of an infection lingered over it. "Oh my god…"

"You have to go back," John panted, hunched over as he spoke. "You can't go any farther they'll kill you."

"You need to come with me. You have to come back so I can fix your shoulder," Jack insisted, walking up close to the man he'd sent away. John was filthy and his pants were ripped at the bottoms and he wore no shoes. "Please. We need you."

John looked pained and hurt as he stood there panting, wincing in pain at what Jack supposed was probably a broken rib.

"I can't, Jack. If they find out I'm missing they'll come for you all. I'm not risking that," John said wisely, shaking his head in his normal that-all-there-is-to-it kind of way. Jack felt like punching him out and dragging him back.

"We'll fight them. We can fight them, we have guns," Jack insisted. He grabbed John's good shoulder firmly. "We have an advantage."

"You don't know what they have, Jack," whispered John fearfully. In the distance was a loud roar and Jack knew what was coming. "Please go."

"I'm not leaving without you," Jack stood firm.

"Please don't make me do what I don't want to do," John pleaded desperately with Jack. "Please. Just go back."

"I am not going to leave you here to die!" Jack shouted angrily.

"If you want Kate to live you will," John whispered.

Jack felt his stomach drop.

"She was the next on the list but they got me instead," John said quietly. "They agreed to keep me and leave her. If you try to take me back, they'll take her."

"No," Jack felt the anger boiling beneath him and he looked down, putting his hand on his head. "No! No, John. We can fight them. We'll have every man with us stand with a gun. We'll fight them and win."

"You think they're afraid of guns? Listen to that, Jack!" John pointed in the direction that the pounding and roaring was coming from, although it got no closer. "They have more than just guns!"

John froze, listening. Footsteps were coming from behind him and quickly, John seized Jack's arm and ran, pulling Jack behind him until he reached the break in the jungle at the valley.

"Go. Jack, if you come back I'll be forced to do something I really didn't want to do," John hissed. He stopped, giving Jack a sad look. "Goodbye."

Jack stood there watching John disappear back towards the glowing fire and then disappear among the trees.

"Jack!" Kate shouted as she and Sawyer ran at top speed through the jungle along their normal paths.

"Doc! Hey doc!" Sawyer was shouting, scanning with his eyes but it was just too dark to see.

"Sawyer," Kate slowed to a walk. "What if we can't find him in time?"

"Michael looks bad but he looks like he's been holding up a few days," Sawyer panted, looking around. "I think he'll be okay for a while."

"If we lose Michael…I think we might lose Jack," Kate worried aloud. Sawyer looked confusedly at her and she shook her head. "He's been so torn up about Shannon and Satine and everything. He just wants to help us, not lose us one by one. If we lose Michael I don't know how he'll handle it."

"We'll have to pay the island therapist to help him," Sawyer remarked as they continued walking.

"Not funny," Kate snapped.

Jack saw Kate and Sawyer standing on the path up ahead as he slowly walked back the way he came. They saw him before he could dodge off the path and ran at full speed up to him.

"Jack…are you okay?" Kate asked, seeing his red eyes and pale face.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Michael came back," Sawyer quickly spoke. "He's torn up real bad."

Jack took off so fast that Kate and Sawyer could barely keep up. When they reached caves he was so far ahead by the time they reached where Michael was, Jack was already giving him some antibiotics.

"He's severely dehydrated," Jack panted, still out of breath as he checked Michael over. Michael was now completely unconscious, not moving. "Back up! Can everyone back up?"

Everyone left Jack to work on Michael. Kate remained by his side as Satine followed Sawyer back to the beach.

"I feel like it's my fault," Satine said quietly as they sat on the sand outside Sawyer's tent.

"Nah. You helped him because if you hadn't seen him, I might have kept walkin'," Sawyer gave her a small smile. "Cheer up, kid. He'll be fine. Mr. Hero will fix him up right."

Satine nodded and looked quietly around, wondering when she should tell him…

"Jack…"

"And if I'd been back here I could have held pressure to his wound and he wouldn't have lost so much blood…"

"Jack?"

"I need some gauze, hand me that gauze."

"JACK."

Looking up, Jack saw Kate kneeling beside him. Jack already had bandaged Michael's chest, planning on sewing it later when the infection had gone down. He'd been rambling since the minute everyone had left.

"He's okay," Kate said quietly. "Sawyer was in worse shape than this when he came back after being shot."

"This isn't Sawyer," snapped Jack, checking Michael's pulse for the fiftieth time. "We don't know where Michael has been, what he's been through. If he saw Walt dead or something…"

"Jack!" Kate gasped.

"If he saw something happen to Walt, he might lose his will and that will kill him even faster," he sighed and sat back. "I'm just glad he came this way."

"By the sounds of it he was still looking for him," Kate whispered quietly, moving over to sit beside Jack against the wall of the cave. "Maybe he's just been wandering for days."

"Who cut him?" Jack asked, looking worriedly at Kate. "He didn't do that to himself."

"We'll ask him when he wakes up."

Jack wasn't reassured and Kate knew whatever she said wasn't going to reassure him. For a long time they sat there, the light from the nearby fire glowing against the walls of the cave. After an hour, Jack rose.

"I'll get some more water," he said, picking up the empty bottles.

"I'll come with you," Kate whispered, standing.

They'd only been gone less than a minute when the light was shadowed against the cave and a small figure bent down beside Michael's body.


	14. Chapter 14: Returned

"What do you mean our flight is booked?" Satine snapped at her mother nastily.

"I mean it's completely full. Honey, we were only on standby. It's full," sighed her mother, crossing her arms.

"Well let's schedule the next flight out. We can wait a few hours," Satine said hopefully, picking up her expensive Louis Vitton bag and slinging it over her shoulder. "Come on, we'll look at the schedule."

"Sattey, I don't think so. We can't afford anything but standby," her mother whispered. You would never get the idea that they were almost completely broke because both dressed like heiresses. "We can't."

Sighing, Satine knew this would be another one of those birthdays where her mother would promise her something extravagant, and have it fall through.

"Come on," her mother said, taking Satine's hand. "I have a better idea."

Satine followed her mother through the crowded airport. She was passing the Dunkin Donuts when a bald man in a wheel chair stopped right in front of her.

"OH!" she crashed into him, her bag hitting him smack in the face. "I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright," said the man, bending over the side of his wheelchair to hand her the fallen wallet. "No problem."

"Watch where you're going!" Satine's mother snapped angrily. "Friggin cripple."

Satine felt horrible and her mother stalked off, supposing Satine was following her. But the bald man in the wheel chair was looking at Satine with the strangest look. His face was so memorable…almost like she'd seen in before.

"Again, I'm sorry," the man apologized. "Have a good day."

He wheeled away and she stood there watching him go for a moment. Then her mother's shouts led her away.

"What are we doing?" Satine asked as they pulled onto the parkway.

"I've decided we're splurging," her mother said proudly, smiling at her daughter with lineless skin thanks to five hundred-dollar injections into her face. Satine couldn't help but wince when she saw her mother's taut skin and brilliantly white teeth. It was like looking at a commercial. "Screw money."

"If only it were that simple," Satine laughed. "Dad would flip." Satine knew her mother had the tendency that when she was almost completely broke to spend every last penny of her money in a sort of denial.

"Honey," her mother sighed. "Don't mention him to me. Not today. I want your birthday to be special."

"He's my dad, Mom. I can talk about him. He's your husband."

"Yes…well," her mother forced a smile. "Anyway…"

Satine's stomach filled with dread. They were splitting up and she knew it, she'd heard them talking about it…well yelling about it but it wasn't real because she hadn't been told. They fought constantly and it was mostly because her mother constantly spent money as though it were nothing, and her father was having trouble hanging onto it when there was a new lipo-suction procedure done once a month.

"Put this on," her mother handed her the red scarf from around her neck. "Cover your eyes."

"What?" Satine looked at the scarf and laughed. "What are you doing?"

"This is going to be your best birthday ever and I want it to be a surprise! Cover them!"

Satine just smiled and did what she was told.

"Michael?"

Through what felt like a haze of fog and blur, Michael could hear someone calling him. He was in extraordinary pain and everytime he almost came around, he passed out again from it. This time, he listened hard to his name being called and pulled himself out of the unconsciousness.

Sitting above him was someone he'd never seen before in his life. She had long curly brown hair and eyes that seemed to bore into him. She was small for her age, but she was clearly in her late teens. Yet he didn't remember her from the crash.

"Who are you?" he croaked, his throat very dry.

"Here, drink this," she pushed the cup into his hands and he drank before sighing and lying back down, looking curiously at her.

"Were you on the plane?" he whispered. The candlelight danced on her face, shrouding it in shadow.

"No," she said quietly, glancing back at the opening of the cave. "I was on a ship."

"A ship?" Michael said hopefully, but he'd moved too much and groaned, lying back. "Are we rescued?"

"No. But I have something I need to tell you," she said quietly. "We've never met before, and I've never met your son. But from what I know, and what I've seen…he's okay."

Michael's eyes went wide.

"He came back while I was gone?" Michael gasped, color draining from his face. "Where is he?"

"No, sshh!" she shushed him, not wanting Jack to hear. "The first time I came here, I landed on the beach. I don't remember much from that night because I was pretty turned around and scared but I do remember seeing a little boy standing on the beach. He was just standing there staring at me and when I went towards him he ran away."

"Walt!" Michael said even louder and Satine shushed him.

"Is that his name? Well, that was the first time I saw him and I didn't say anything because I thought I was seeing things. The second time was right before we found you. I was standing with Sawyer on the path where you came out and in the trees he was there, just watching us. It's almost like he was…making sure you found us?"

Tears were streaming down Michael's face and he was moaning with pain from his chest. Satine prayed no one would come back and find her here.

"Where is he?" Michael pleaded. "Where?"

"I don't know exactly…"

Suddenly a strong hand was around her throat and Michael was half risen from lying down, his hand around her neck.

"Where is he?" demanded Michael, the hand tightening around her throat. She gasped for air, her eyes bugging out. She gasped, trying to tell him she didn't know. But he tightened it. "YOU SAW HIM! WHERE WAS HE?"

"Please!" she tried to say but it came out as a squeak and she gripped his hand as she felt her head getting dizzy. No air was going into her lungs and spots were forming in front of her eyes. "I…I…"

"WHO ARE YOU?" Michael was practically bellowing and Satine could see the wound on his chest had reopened from his movement and was soaking the bandage but he didn't seem to feel it. She felt herself getting weaker and just as she was so sure she was going to pass out, he released her.

"What happened?" Jack was pulling her backward towards the cave opening. Satine coughed and sputtered, taking in deep gulps of air. Her head was spinning and she couldn't see as black spots were dancing before her eyes. Jack was talking to her but she couldn't hear him over her own gasps. "Satine! Are you okay?"

"What's going on?" Kate appeared at the opening of the cave. "Oh god! Michael!"

They all looked towards him and saw the bed was empty. Turning, they saw him stumbling from the area around the caves and into the jungle.

"Michael!"

Jack and Kate took off down the path towards the beach. They could see Michael running ahead of them and Jack couldn't believe how he was running with such a wound on his chest. They heard a scream and knew he had startled someone on the path. They came up to find Claire gasping, clutching Aaron to her.

"Michael!" she shrieked at them, pointing in the direction he'd gone. "He's bleeding!"

They sprinted towards the opening to the beach. Jack came out first and spotted Michael heading towards the ocean.

"WALT!" Michael bellowed. Blood was on the sand and Jack felt almost sick as he ran towards Michael just as he neared the water. Please don't let him drown, Jack pleaded to no one in particular.

Michael stopped just short of the waves and turned to face them. It was so abrupt that Kate and Jack stopped short, almost tumbling over one another.

"Michael!" Kate yelled to him. "It's us!"

"My boy!" Michael bellowed. He had gone insane. His once docile and kind eyes were wild and popping, bloodshot and weary. His chest was covered in blood from the wound that had soaked through the bandage that now hung off. Jack knew people had gathered on the beach and were watching. He wished they hadn't, he didn't know what was coming next.

"Walt isn't here!" Jack said calmly to Michael, approaching him slowly.

"Where is Walt?" Michael demanded angrily of Jack. "Where is he?"

"We don't know," Jack said quietly, now closer to him. "Michael, look at me."

Michael was standing at a stance where he looked ready for battle. His shredded clothes were whipping about him and the moonlight was glistening off the blood running off of him. Kate felt extremely sick and hoped she wouldn't vomit right there on the beach.

"It's okay," Jack said calmly to Michael. He'd feel the pain soon, Jack said to himself. Michael would soon come out of this and if the pain didn't kill him, the loss of blood would. "It's alright."

Slowly, Jack held Michael's arm and led him back. Almost everyone was on the beach and as they approached where Kate stood, Michael stopped again.

"She knows where he is," Michael pointed straight at Satine who stood at the end of the path leading into the jungle with Sawyer at her side. "She took my boy."

"Sawyer, come here," Kate said quietly from her place just outside the cave entrance. Sawyer had been sitting by himself on the rocks after Satine had ducked into his tent while they brought Michael back.

"How is he?" Sawyer asked quietly, glancing back. Michael lay now unconscious again as Jack tended to his newly opened wound.

"He's delirious from the infection," Kate whispered, looking back also. "Plus, we don't know what trauma he's been through."

"Why did he say the kid took Walt? He knows very well who took him," asked Sawyer sensibly. It had been bothering him for a while.

"He wasn't himself. Have you spoken to her?"

Sawyer shook his head and Kate nodded. She was remembering what Ana-Lucia said about Satine being Sawyer's accomplice. But Kate knew Sawyer really was worried about Michael because he'd spent time with him on the raft and they'd helped save each other's lives. She knew he wasn't there right then to plan anything.

"Jack and I have been talking," Kate lowered her voice even more. "We think Satine should maybe stay in the shelter from now on and that we should keep a closer eye on her."

Sawyer gave her a confused look.

"It's not that we think any of this is her fault, because it's not. But strange things have happened ever since she arrived…"

"Something strange happened before we met her…oh yes we were in _a plane crash_!" Sawyer emphasized nastily. "Weird things have been happening for the past month and a half, Kate."

"I know," she looked down, feeling very awkward. "But everyone seems to think she's the cause of it."

"Obviously people are going to blame someone they don't know for the source of their problem," rolling his eyes, Sawyer sighed. "Stupid."

"I know you…want to protect her…" 

"No I don't," he growled at her. "She's a dumb kid. She follows _me_!"

"Okay. But if we want her to stay down there we need you to convince her. She probably won't listen to anyone else," she said carefully, unsure of what he'd say.

Sawyer thought about it. If the kid was always in the shelter there really wasn't anything to worry about. It's not that he worried about her but she was always around him. Now it would be easier to leave and know she wouldn't get lost somewhere without him.

"I'll try," he said quietly. "But I can't guarantee it."

"Thank you," Kate smiled at him. "I appreciate it."

Nodding, Sawyer stood and headed off.

Kate stood with her coat over her hands as she waited for the Marshal to finish checking his own bags. She had her coat over her hands and waited calmly as though she was simply a traveler. If anyone knew what was going through her head, she thought angrily, if anyone had any idea.

"Come on, sweetcheeks," the marshal took her firmly by the arm and led her out into the busy public area where the food court was.

"Want anything?" he remarked smartly and she threw him a look. But when she had turned her head she wasn't watching where she was going and stumbled. The marshal caught her arm but her jacket slipped revealing her handcuffed wrists.

The only person close enough to see was a young girl with brilliant eyes and brown hair who looked to be wearing at least five hundred dollars worth of name brands. She had been talking to her mother and her eyes went wide when she saw Kate's hands.

Kate could see her nudging her mother and motioning so she turned around quickly as the marshal replaced the coat.

"Close call," he sniggered.

As they walked by, Kate felt the glares of this girl on her as she passed and felt it until she reached the gate.


	15. Chapter 15: Mistaken

Sawyer walked slowly towards his own tent, not believing he was actually pretty nervous now. What Kate had asked him to do sounded easy, but now she had given him reason to believe Satine wasn't who she said she was.

Satine was sitting in Sawyer's usual chair outside, just staring out at the dark ocean. Down the beach quite a way, Sawyer could see Sun and Jin walking in the moonlight.

"Hey," Satine heard him coming and he looked up at her. "How's Michael?"

"He's okay," Sawyer sat on the sand roughly, groaning at the pain in his arm. "Jack'll fix him up."

She didn't speak and Sawyer supposed she felt guilty about what happened. He knew she hadn't injured him, that was obvious, but she probably was the reason he'd gotten so worked up.

"Did you tell Michael anything?" asked Sawyer nonchalantly. "Did you say anything about Walt to him?"

Her eyes traveled to him slowly and locked onto his.

"I saw Walt right before we found Michael," she whispered. "I…I needed to tell him."

"Everyone on the island has seen Walt in the jungle. But we all know it's just…I don't know…the heat and people worrying about him," Sawyer reassured her. "Jack is pretty pissed."

"At me?" she looked upset.

"Well, no I think he's just mad that he wasn't the one who found Michael. He's hasn't said anything but I have a feeling he's still going to go after Locke," Sawyer looked at Satine and took a deep breath. "Um…we think maybe you should stay in the hatch for a while."

She gave him a confused look.

"Why?" she asked.

"Well…Kate and Jack figure with all this stuff going on, it may be better to have you in one place…"

"They think I did it?" she snapped, turning to face him. "They think I did that to Michael?"

"No…" but she cut Sawyer off.

"Why, because I suddenly appeared? If they don't trust me, why didn't they just come and drag me off? How do they know I won't fight you and kill you? Huh? If they don't trust me, why not bind and gag me…"

"It's not that they don't trust you," Sawyer said a bit angrily. "They're just worried…"

"About who? The rest of the people here? I know what you're saying, Sawyer. I understand it perfectly. They think…"

"Somebody help!"

A scream echoed from down the beach and both of them sprang to their feet and started running. A few other people had left their tents on the beach and hurried towards the sound.

Claire stood on the beach clutching Aaron to her chest. As they approached they could see something was lying on the sand at her feet, something that kept coming in further with the tide.

"Oh my god…" breathed someone from Sawyer's right.

"Who is that?" shrieked Claire.

"It's my mother…" Satine whispered before fainting.

Jack jerked awake. He had just dozed off when Michael made a movement that ruffled the blanket over him.

"Mike?" Jack leaned over Michael, his eyes bleary with sleep. "Hey buddy, can you hear me?"

Michael moaned a bit and swallowed hard. Jack checked his pulse and gave him water. As he finished and sat back, Kate came in.

"Have you slept?" she asked, sitting beside him. "The sun is coming up."

"No," Jack rubbed his face. "But it's okay, I'll nap tomorrow."

"You should go rest," she insisted. "I can give him water if he needs it. If anything happens I'll come get you."

Jack looked uncertain. He looked around and sighed.

"Go lay down in the hatch," Kate said as Jack stood. "It's close and you need the quiet."

"Yeah, okay," for once Jack was agreeing. "But come get me if he wakes up. Don't let him move and check his pulse every…"

"I know," she smiled. "You've taught me well."

He gave her a thankful smile and headed off, wavering slightly in his tired state. Kate looked down at Michael and leaned against the wall.

Somebody was running through the jungle and she saw someone burst out of the trees carrying something.

"What happened?" Kate gasped as Sawyer lay Satine down on a nearby mat.

"She fainted," he said quickly, very out of breath. "She's fine. Listen…a body washed up on shore."

"What? Who?" she gasped, feeling sick.

"It's her mother."

Kate looked down at the unconscious Satine and then back up at Sawyer.

"Wait…Jack buried…"

"I don't know who Jack buried but this lady is definitely her. She's wrapped in the blanket…well what's left of her," Sawyer made a gruesome look that made Kate wish she wouldn't ever have to see this body.

"What should we do?" Kate asked. "Jack just went in to sleep."

"She already thought her mother was buried. So we can bury her and it'll be fine," Sawyer stood and brushed off his pants. "But let's do it soon. It's kind of…sitting there."

Kate nodded and they ran off.

"Dr. Shephard?"

Jack awoke quickly and almost fell off the gurney he was sleeping on in one of the vacant storerooms.

"Yeah?" he mumbled, rubbing his face.

"Your father is here to see you," said the nurse uncomfortably.

Jack was about to lay back down when what the nurse had said registered in his mind. He hadn't seen his father in almost five months. Their last conversation had been an argument where Jack had told his father that he never wanted to be a doctor, and that he was forced into it. Taking this as an insult, his father had angrily retorted he never wanted a son but that he had no choice on the matter. They had left it like that and it was the last Jack had seen of him.

Hurrying out of the room, Jack adjusted his coat and tried to get rid of any remnants of sleep. Taking a few deep breaths he came around the corner of the hallway and towards the nurses station.

"Where is he?" he asked the nurse who had woken him.

"In there," she said quietly, pointing to the waiting room.

From where he stood, Jack could see his father sitting with his back to the window in one of the chairs. His hair was frazzled and his jacket looked dirty. Jack knew he hadn't been home in days because his mother would have made him shave. In his hands was a blue airline ticket but from where he was, Jack couldn't see the destination.

Slowly Jack entered the waiting room. Now that he could see his father's face, it made it that much more difficult. His father had deep lines in his face and his scraggly beard was much longer than he had ever let it get. His eyes were deeply set and Jack could swear they were dilated.

"Hello son," the older man stood. "How're ya?"

Jack let him hug him, though he did not put himself into it. He felt somehow disgusted at the state the once chief-of-surgery was in.

"What's going on, Dad?" Jack asked, trying to keep his hands from shaking.

"I'm…uh…going on a trip," he smiled and there was a flash of what Christian Shephard used to be in that smile, but it faded quickly. "I just came to say goodbye."

"Where are you going?" Jack sat down across from him.

"Just on a trip. I'm exploring some other options," his father smiled at him. "Don't worry, your mother knows and agrees I need the time."

"I don't think you should," Jack leaned forward, sure his heart would beat out of his chest. "Dad, please. Just go home to mom."

"Jack, how many times have I told you? When I've made up my mind, I've made it up," Jack tried to avoid the pleading look in his father's eye. "I just came to say goodbye to my boy, is that too much?"

Jack looked around, his throat swelling. Somehow, deep inside of him, he knew that this trip wasn't for other options. His father was fleeing, possibly running away from all the troubles in his life. Wherever he would go there would be bars, there would be drinks, and that meant destruction. Jack wished there were some way he could convince him to stay.

"Dad, I can help you out if you stay," now Jack was begging. "If you just go home, I can get you something to do."

"I don't need my son to get me a job!" his eyes blazed for a moment then he settled down. "No, son. I'm okay."

Mr. Shephard stood and straightened his dirty coat. Jack rose also in his pure white lab coat and stethoscope around his neck, almost a mock of what his father used to be.

"Goodbye, son," Jack was once again embraced by his father and the smell of alcohol still hadn't left him even after his father had walked through the waiting room doors and out of the hospital.

"Shouldn't we dig up whoever Jack buried?" Kate asked as she and Sawyer carried the tarp wrapped body of Satine's mother into the jungle. "I'd think he'd want to know who he buried."

"It was probably someone who died in the crash," Sawyer reassured her, trying not to breathe through his nose. The smell of rotting flesh was overpowering and his stomach lurched several times as they carefully carried it through the jungle.

"But if it was, they would have sunk. It's gross, but after a while a body gets water logged enough to sink," Kate said as Sawyer stopped and dropped his end.

"How do you know so much about dead bodies?" Sawyer inclined, wiping his brow and panting.

"I don't," Kate looked down at her end, which she had laid down. "It's common sense."

"Did you see the body before Jack buried it? How…old was it?" Sawyer lifted his end again and they continued on.

"No, it was wrapped too but not very well," she thought hard as they struggled through some thick brambles. "Maybe Jack can tell us what it looked like."

They came to a clearing and Kate and Sawyer put the body down. They had wrapped it in the tarp so the stench wouldn't be as bad, but it still made Kate gag if she breathed in too deeply. Sawyer pulled the makeshift shovel Sayid had made out of the bag he was carrying and got to work.

It took them over two hours to dig the hole. When it was finally deep enough and wide enough, they lifted each end and dropped it in. Sawyer was about to start covering it but Kate stopped him.

"Shouldn't we say something?" she asked, looking uncertainly down at the body. "I mean, it was her mother."

"Yeah, I'll say let's get this done with. I'm about to throw up," Sawyer began shoveling dirt in and Kate just sighed and helped by scooping it in.

Jack awoke in the hatch to the sound of the beeping from the computer. Sitting up, he saw it was almost seven and he'd slept for over four hours. Standing, he went to the sink and splashed his face before heading towards the computer room.

No one was in there. Checking the list John had made, he saw it was Kate's shift now. Putting the numbers in himself, he watched the timer click back to 108 before heading out.

He came out and went down the path into the caves only to find Michael still lying there, but he was alone.

"Kate?" Jack called out, wondering if she'd just gone to get some water. Kneeling beside Michael he saw he looked even more dehydrated. Helping him to some water, Jack checked his pulse and was reassured that he was slowly but surely recovering.

Jack walked heavily back to the beach angry that Kate had neglected two of the duties that were assigned to her. If something had happened to Michael, if he had gone septic or into cardiac arrest, he'd be dead. By the time Jack reached the beach he was in a full on fury.

Sawyer wasn't outside his tent and no one was on the beach. Was it possible he was dreaming? Why did it suddenly feel like he was alone on this island?

Walking along the beach Jack finally saw someone. Claire was in her tent, holding Aaron.

"Hey," she said as Jack came up. "What's going on?"

"That's what I was going to ask you," Jack said, looking around. "Where is everyone?"

"Oh…Sawyer and Kate left to…uh…bury it and everyone else must still be asleep," she said, looking down at her baby sadly. "It shook everyone up."

"What did?" Jack asked confusedly.

"Oh, you didn't hear? Satine's mother's body washed up on the beach last night. I was lucky enough to come across it. It scared me to death," she said, shuddering at the thought of it. "Sawyer and Kate buried it earlier this morning."

Jack felt as though his stomach was going to fall out of him. He stumbled back and turned around twice before setting off in the direction of Sawyer's tent, which now had movement going on inside it.

When he reached it, he saw Kate and Sawyer sitting across from each other inside, filthy and looking exhausted.

"Where is it?" Jack demanded, coming to the entrance and blocking out the sunlight.

"Where is what?" Kate asked, squinting up at him.

"The body! Claire said Satine's mother's body washed up last night," Jack panted, barely able to breathe.

"We buried it. Calm down," Sawyer snapped.

"I buried it," Jack growled. "I buried it, remember?"

"We don't know who you buried, Jack. Satine knew it was her mother, she fainted when she saw it. She was wrapped in the blanket with the duct tape and everything," Kate said sadly. "We're positive it was her."

"Who…then…"

Suddenly it came back to him. The body he had buried had been badly decomposed. If it had been Satine's mother, she wouldn't have been as bad because she had only died a few days before.

Satine came up to the tent just as Jack went sprinting away towards the woods.

"What happened?" she asked, watching him go.

"Nothing, kid," Sawyer said quickly, causing her to look down at him, his hands filthy and his shirt soaked with sweat.

Jack flew through the woods, smashing through the trees and stumbling over roots and branches. He went so fast that outreaching sticks and branches scratched him. He went off the path and through the thick trees, climbing a short incline and finally coming to a stop in a small clearing. In the middle of the sandy dirt was a place where the earth had obviously been churned. Getting on his knees, Jack started digging.


	16. Chapter 16: Betrayal

The phone sat on its hook under the small hotel room lamp. Jack sat in a chair beside it, staring at it with his hands trembling. The room was dark, as it was almost midnight there.

Taking a deep breath, Jack picked up the phone. He got the operator and connected to an American line so he could dial the number.

It rang and Jack wondered if maybe he would get no answer. Maybe he'd have to tell her when he got home.

"Hello?" said a tired sounding voice on the other line. Jack remained silent. "Hello?"

"Mom?" Jack croaked, clearing this throat. "It's me."

"Jack?" he could hear his mother waking up quickly. "Are you alright? Where are you?"

"I'm in Sydney," he said, looking around the empty hotel room.

"Did you find your father?" she asked worriedly. He could hear the terror in her voice.

"Um…yeah," Jack knew he couldn't lie but he didn't know how to say it. "He..Mom.."

"Jack," her voice was low. "Jack, please."

"He's dead, Mom. He died of alcohol poisoning yesterday."

There was no sound on the other side of the line and Jack supposed she had either fainted or gone into a hysterical fit of crying. He waited, unsure if he should hang up and call back in the morning.

"Jack," her voice came back strong although underneath he knew she was fighting back tears. "Thank you for going. I know it was so far to go."

"It's fine, Mom," Jack reassured her, unsure if he could hold himself together. "I'm taking the earliest flight tomorrow morning. We'll….I've already made the funeral arrangements."

"You...you have?" she sounded almost offended. "Where?"

"The place down the block from Goldman's. Where Grandma was waked," Jack felt very sick. He hoped he wouldn't be sick on the phone. "It's at two. I've already made the few calls to people who would want to come."

"Jack, why didn't you let me…"

"Because it's over, Mom," and this time Jack's voice broke. "It's over. I need to finish this."

He was crying and he knew she could hear but she offered no words of comfort, no soothing tone to calm him down.

"Okay," she said stiffly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He wanted her to tell him it was okay, that when he got home she'd take care of it. Jack wanted his mother to mourn just as much as he was. He wanted her to tell him she loved him.

"Okay," Jack tried to compose himself. "Bye Mom."

"Goodbye, Jack."

Jack sat with his back against a tree, staring at the hole he'd just dug with mostly his hands but some help from a makeshift shovel. His arms were sore and his shoulder throbbing with pain. His hands were completely dirty and his shirt had been long discarded. The sun was high in the sky and Jack knew it had been more than three hours since he'd left.

Kate appeared out of the jungle and came to sit beside him. She never looked down in the hole.

"I don't know how I did it," Jack whispered, his eyes glazed as he stared. "I…buried him without even…"

"Jack," Kate said softly. "Who is that?"

Jack realized he had never told anyone on the island about him flying his father's body home for burial. He had told Kate his father had died, but he hadn't told her where and when. He supposed he must have looked pretty stupid getting so worked up over someone he didn't presumably know.

"My father," Jack said, sighing deeply. "It's my father."

Kate looked confused but didn't ask. She just sat beside him, a silent motion of comfort that Jack needed.

"His casket was empty," he said quietly a few moments later. "I found it by the caves a while ago when we first found the water. It must have fallen out mid-air and just washed up now."

He knew Kate now understood and he prayed she had no questions. He had accepted that his father's body was probably gone, dropped into the ocean miles away. He'd seen the casket and destroyed it himself, wishing to do away with it all. Even after he kept seeing his father in the jungle, it was like his last test of strength before he finally let it go. Now he was back to the beginning, back to the morgue in Sydney where he'd had to see his father as he was now.

"I don't know how I didn't see it," he said, finally looking over at Kate. "I don't know how I didn't notice the suit…and tie. How I could have mistaken it…"

"But Jack," she said softly but carefully. "Now you know."

"Yes but this never would have happened if that girl hadn't come here," he said, now angry. His face had gone from sadness to fury in a matter of seconds. "Everything has gone wrong since she arrived…"

"But if she hadn't arrived, you never would have found your father," Kate insisted. She sounded almost fed up. "Blaming it all on her doesn't…"

"It helps," he snapped.

She stood slowly and walked back into the jungle. He regretted being nasty with her, as he didn't want to be alone.

Putting his head down on his knees, Jack began to cry.

"Heya Mikey!" Sawyer said, strolling up to where Michael sat carefully on the beach with Sun, who was helping him eat some fruit. "How'ya doin' you madman?"

"Just fine, Sawyer," Michael replied, giving a small smile. It was obvious he didn't remember anything that had happened. He still looked slightly green and very weak. "What's been going on since I left?"

"Hmm," Sawyer looked down the beach and saw Satine coming this way. "We've got a new girl."

"Huh?" Michael looked confused.

"She was thrown off a cruise ship," Sawyer bent near Michael. "She's a bit of a psycho herself. You two would get along."

Michael laughed and winced, holding a hand to the bandage on his chest. Sun decided that was enough and helped him to stand, walking him back towards the caves. When Satine arrived beside Sawyer, she looked puzzled.

"He's up already?" she asked, seeing them hobbling away.

"Yep," Sawyer turned and started walking towards his tent.

"Are you mad at me or something?" she asked, hurrying along beside him. "I did what you asked. I moved my suitcase into the hatch."

"Good. Jack will be happy," his retorts were short and cold.

"Sawyer what…"

"Listen," he turned to face her, looking very solemn indeed. He stood in the opening to his tent looking down at her fiercely. "I don't want you hanging around me anymore. I have enough to deal with without everyone thinking I'm planning some kind of revolt with you. Everyone's scared of you and since you're almost always up my ass, they're starting to be scared of me as well."

She looked hurt and just stood there for a moment.

"I didn't know…"

"No, you didn't but now you do. If I was you I'd find somewhere to set up camp and just live on my own. It'd be better than screwing up everyone else's lives."

"Sawyer…"

"Just go hang out in the hatch. If you're not around and something bad happens we'll know it wasn't you," he insisted, wishing he could sound softer but he couldn't. "Alright?"

"But…"

Sawyer couldn't take it anymore. The terrified feeling was in him, building slowly below the surface. She made him feel like his entire past was crashing into him and he hated it. He couldn't stand it anymore.

"I said go! Are you deaf, kid? I don't want you around! You freak me out! Everything was fine until you showed up. Now our only hunter is gone, and everything has gone to hell! You're a freaking curse, kid!"

Satine didn't say anything. She just took a deep, steadying breath and started to walk away. Sawyer wouldn't let himself feel bad. Ever since Michael had that episode, everyone's been saying that Sawyer and Satine were up to something. They knew Sawyer still had the guns and he supposed they imagined he was planning some kind of take over.

He didn't need it. Everyone already feared him enough. If it got to a certain point they might try to hold him down and take the guns back.

Jack straightened up. The hole was filled in although the ground was now very uneven where he stood. He had carefully made a cross out of sticks and tied them together. When he finished he made sure it stayed in the ground securely. Finally, he said a small prayer and turned, leaving the sight.

He hadn't gotten very far when the sound of crying and someone hurrying through the jungle caught his ear. Looking around, he thought for a moment it was coming from behind him. He spun on the spot, unsure of where to look. He continued forward for a bit and it got louder. Finally he came out to the path where he was almost run over by Satine who was running by.

"Hey!" Jack said as she stumbled past him and kept going. "Wait! Where are you going?"

She stopped running and turned slowly to face him. Her face was wet with tears and her eyes red rimmed.

"What happened?" Jack asked, his stomach sinking. If something else had happened he didn't know how much more he could take.

"Nothing," she insisted, wiping her face. "I'm fine. Just…fine."

"Obviously you're not," he said a bit coldly. He couldn't bring himself to be warm with her. She backed up a bit from this and he sighed. "What's wrong?"

Satine looked around as though desperate for some kind of relief from this confrontation. He only stood a few feet from her but she looked ready to run.

"If I've been rude to you, I'm sorry," he apologized quickly. "I know I haven't been very nice."

"No," she shook her head. "It's not that. No one here really knows me so everyone is afraid of me. Everyone blames all the bad stuff that's happened on me."

"Well," he wasn't going to lie to her. "That's just a natural response. I know you haven't done anything wrong."

"I'm sorry about your father," she said gently.

He looked at her with eyes that could only say he was scared. She saw this and knew she had said the wrong thing once again.

"How…did you…"

"I'm sorry," she turned to hurry away but he caught her arm.

"How did you know?" he demanded, trying not to shout into her face.

"I…can see it," she wouldn't look at him. "When I look at you I see grief and I know it was your father who you buried."

He released her as though she was on fire and she stumbled back, looking at him with sorry eyes.

"I can't help it. I see it when I look at you, and when I looked at Michael I saw his son. I still see Walt everywhere. Sawyer said everybody has seen him but this is different. He's everywhere!" she sounded hysterical. "But I told him once and he almost died..."

"Can you see Walt?" Jack asked, his chest heaving. He was terrified, unsure of what to think. "Do you see where he is?"

"He's not hurt. He's fine and…almost happy. They're nice to him, they don't hurt him. But he's also scared because they're planning something," she seemed to be thinking hard. "But that's all he told me."

"You spoke to him?" Jack almost choked on the words. "He talks to you?"

"Yes, I told you I see him everywhere," she whispered, looking around nervously. "He's only spoken to me once and that's all he said. I think he wanted me to tell his dad that."

For a moment Jack watched her, feeling almost nauseous. She had to be lying. There was no way he could know all this about people, and also see Walt and talk to him. She was absolutely out of her mind and he needed to bring her back to the hatch so she didn't do any more damage.

"Let's go back," he said, going towards her slowly with his hand outstretched. "We can talk more."

"No," she shook her head. "I can't go back. The one person who I thought wasn't afraid of me….he is. And I'll just live by myself until we're rescued."

Jack saw she had one water bottle in her hand and nothing else.

"What are you going to live on? You don't know how to hunt or what fruit is safe or where the water is," he said to her quickly, still walking towards her but she continued to back away.

"Just leave me alone," she began to cry again.

She turned tail and started to run and Jack didn't follow her. He wanted to, he knew he should so she wouldn't go running off a cliff. But somehow he felt relieved, somehow he was glad that she'd be gone from their lives. No one would have to be afraid anymore, the bad things might stop. Perhaps Jack associated Satine leaving with John coming back.

He slowly walked back to the beach and came across Sawyer chopping wood, something he only did when he was mad or upset. Jack walked by him and noticed he looked extremely stressed out, his face set in a taut frown.

"You okay?" Jack asked weakly. He felt extremely drained.

"Yep," Sawyer chopped another piece cleanly in half. "You?"

"Yep," nodding, Jack continued on.

Kate stood at the entrance to Sun's tent watching as Jack walked by Sawyer. Both of them looked completely miserable. She knew Jack's reason but couldn't understand why Sawyer would be so upset.

Jack came down the beach and went into the ocean to wash off. Kate watched him for a long time. He swam for a little and then just stood in the surf, letting the waves crash into him. He stared out to sea, as though wishing he were out there, wishing he were off this island. She could almost feel his pain, the agony going on inside of him, as he remained motionless, sinking a little bit everytime the surf came in.

Reaching a part of the jungle she'd never seen before, Satine began walking north. She wondered if somewhere on the higher hills she could find some place to make camp. She had stolen a lighter from the hatch and it sat in her pocket. Jack was right, she didn't know how to hunt or pick fruit but that wasn't her concern. She just wanted to find a place to watch for the smoke, so she could know when the time was right to go back and fix things.


	17. Chapter 17: Identity

Jack sat by himself in the waiting area of the airport. His flight hadn't begun boarding yet, and he still had time. He sat with his suit jacket over his arm, just staring out at the vast majorities of people. It seemed everyone had a problem today, no one had a grin on their face as they bustled through the airport.

Yet it was obvious travel was never that pleasant, Jack admitted to himself. Some people traveled for vacations, others for business, and some for family. But who really liked spending money to get on an uncomfortably claustrophobic aircraft to sit in stale, germ filled air for hours at a time until you landed and had to do it all over again to get home? No one did.

Someone had sat down hard in the seat a few chairs down from Jack. She was a young girl with long curly hair and she looked extremely annoyed. He saw what had to be her mother hurrying away towards the ticket line looking frantic.

The girl whipped out a bright pink cellphone and dialed quickly a number she had to have memorized long ago. Jack didn't look at her, as she was the type of girl he had never wanted to know.

"Dad? Yeah, it's me. Me. Um, your daughter?" and although she sounded extremely annoyed she sounded hurt as well. "Mom is having a fit and she just told me we were on standby. But by the looks of things we're not getting on the flight."

Jack sympathized with the girl and he realized he was being very rude by eavesdropping. But she was talking very loudly only a few feet from him.

"Of course," she said quietly all of a sudden. "I had no idea. Um..okay. Well maybe we'll just stay at a hotel tonight since the drive home is so long."

She was American and Jack tried to guess why she was living in Australia. Perhaps wondering about other people's lives was helping Jack deal with his own right now.

He was surprised when he saw her hang up the phone and stand, wiping her eyes quickly as her highly dressed mother beckoned her. For a split second, the girl had looked down at her purse to zip it, and then up at Jack. Their eyes had met and it couldn't have been more than a split second but he felt a shiver pass through him from her deep, boring eyes. Then she looked away and it passed.

Jack came into the shelter to find Libby and Hurley doing laundry again. It was their third time this week and Jack had begun to realize they probably only did it to come down here and be alone.

"Hey Jack," Hurley said brightly, giving a grin only Hurley could give.

"Hey," Jack tried to show more enthusiasm. "What's goin' on?"

"Laundry," Libby held up some shirts that were obviously not very dirty.

"Oh, I meant to ask you," Hurley pointed towards one of the back bedrooms. "There's a suitcase in there I think it belonged to that new chick."

"Satine? Yeah, I think it's hers," Jack nodded, walking past.

"Well, why is it down here?" asked Hurley confusedly.

"We were going to keep her down here for a while to observe her. She's still pretty shaken up," Jack said quickly, sitting down at the table.

"Were?" Libby looked worried. "Why did you change your mind?"

"We didn't. She left," Jack put his head in his hands. "She's gone."

"Where'd she go?" Hurley had abandoned his laundry and Jack wished they'd leave him alone. "Dude, she's like ten."

"More like eighteen," and Jack knew his voice was cold. "It was her decision."

"Well a lot of her decisions haven't been very good ones!" Hurley exclaimed, exchanging a look with Libby. "Maybe we should try to find her."

"No," this time Jack stood and faced them. "Just leave it be. She's a danger to everyone. It's better off that she left. She'll be fine there is plenty of fruit and if she gets too bad she can always come back."

Hurley and Libby just watched Jack for a moment. He knew he must look absolutely crazy for saying such a thing but he didn't care. He just needed to be alone and he obviously wasn't going to get that down here. Sighing, he walked around them and towards the exit.

Reaching the cool confines of the hall leading to the door, Jack slowed his pace. He felt exhausted and knew he needed sleep but couldn't bring himself to lie down. Too much was racing through his mind.

He almost walked directly into Kate, who had appeared out of no where.

"Jack?" Kate gave him a confused look when he didn't answer her. "Are you okay?"

Nodding, he tried to walk past her but she moved in front of him.

"Sawyer said he got mad at Satine and yelled at her. He said she went running off. Did you see her?" she looked concerned about the girl's well being and it was just one more person for Jack to avoid.

"Yeah," he looked around. "Yeah, I saw her."

"Is she okay? She's probably really upset she might be remembering…"

"She's gone," he whispered quietly. The dark of the hall gave her face a shadow that made Jack realize how beautiful she was. Or it could have been the lack of sleep. But the dim light made everything seem that much worse in his mind. "She isn't coming back."

"What do you mean? She's only a teenager, she can't fend for herself," Kate looked shocked. "You…you didn't send her off…"

"No!" he defended angrily. He knew she was thinking of what he'd done to Locke. "She was upset and I tried to convince her to come back but…she didn't want to."

"Jack, you don't look well," Kate seemed to forget about Satine for a moment. "You should lie down."

"I'm fine," he snapped, heading towards the door.

"Don't you think we should go look for her?" she asked him as he went to turn the wheel to open the door.

Slowly he turned to face her, remembering watching Satine run off into the jungle. He had no determination to go after her, no will to save her and bring her back for her own good. He felt the same now.

"It was her choice. If she wants to come back she will," he looked hard at her.

"Since when do you give up so easily?" Kate snapped. She looked furious.

"Since everyone gave up on me," he said sadly before disappearing out the door.

It was two days since Satine left and Sawyer couldn't sit still. He had chopped enough wood for about five more years on the island, and had gotten himself enough water for a week. His tent hadn't been messy to begin with but he'd cleaned up what was knocked about. He had even caught a few fish with Jin but he couldn't find anything else to do after that. It's like every time he sat down, he remembered what he'd said and have to get up again to take his mind off of it.

He knew he was feeling guilty but it was something he wouldn't admit. It was his fault Satine had run off and hadn't been back for almost two days. He knew it wasn't hard to find food on this island, and that she could come back and nick some water whenever she pleased. But somehow he knew she wasn't close. He no longer had that sense of uneasiness, the feeling that someone was paging through the back of his mind, looking at his past. She wasn't there.

The person, who at one time had spent most of his time helping her, now seemed to care the least. Most of the people on the island still discussed it, even a few swore they spotted her running off with some water or food. Hurley had decided to keep his campfire lit in case she got lost and needed to be lead back. He even set out food, leaving it in obvious places but he always found mice or birds pecking at it by morning. Even Kate had spent some of the previous afternoon hiking through the nearby jungle, looking for any sign that the young girl was okay. But she had come back without any clues feeling even more concerned.

Sawyer didn't talk about it, but he did wonder if she was okay. He wondered if maybe the others had caught her, or even if she'd fallen into some pit and broken her leg and lay bleeding for days. He knew it was probably not true but everytime he thought about where she could be, he thought of gruesome circumstances. Maybe she'd fallen in a trap and lay unconscious, roasting in the sun. It made him feel sick to think about it and he pushed it out of his mind.

By the time Satine had reached the place where Jack and Sayid had set off the explosion, she was completely exhausted and drained. She'd drank most of her water and had only eaten some very bad tasting fruit. But she wouldn't need it after a while.

Creeping carefully through the trees, she could see a fire glowing in the distance. She wasn't anywhere near the beach and knew it wasn't from the place she had left. Slowly, she climbed under branches and around large amounts of sticks to keep from making noise. Doing this made her journey slow and oftentimes painful. By the time she reached the clearing, her eyes had adjusted to this darkness and she could see what was ahead of her.

It wasn't the camp she had expected. She had expected to see huts, possibly even houses. But this was just a plain camp with a large fire in the middle and several roughly made tarp tents around it. Beyond were some structures, possibly watch towers but from where she was they were just dark masses in the night. There was no one around and the only sound came from the crackling of the large fire.

Slowly she crept forward. She didn't know where to look but she supposed if they were all out hunting or something, she'd have a chance to look in the tents. She hadn't gotten ten feet when the ground disappeared from under her and she went falling almost five feet to the rough earth, smashing her head into the side and twisting her knee painfully before blacking out.

Not having been out five minutes, she awoke with a start to find someone leaning over her looking worried.

"John?" she whispered, sitting up and feeling very dizzy. Looking around she saw complete darkness except for the few rays of light filtering in between the almost smooth trap door above her. John knelt beside her, the blood on his bare shoulder gleaming in the light from the fire above. His face looked pale and he looked thin.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded in a hurried whisper. He held her to lean against the side of the hole, which was actually pretty big. It was almost five feet by five feet and the walls were perfectly carved from the earth to be completely flat and unclimbable. "You're going to get yourself killed!"

"They locked you up?" she whispered, putting a hand to her knee which was swelling brilliantly.

"After I saw Jack, yeah," he looked up, listening hard. "We have to get you out of here."

"No," she grabbed his arm before he could stand. "I'm staying."

"You don't know these people! They'll kill you!" he looked desperate. "Please, just go back!"

"John, neither of us are getting out of this hole," she said sensibly. "Besides, I know what I'm doing."

"And what exactly is that?" he asked smartly.

"I'm Kate," she whispered so low he had to bend forward to hear her. "I'm going to be Kate."

"What?" he looked puzzled.

"I know that they only took you because they couldn't get to Kate because she was always around Jack," she said quickly. "And I know that if I say I'm Kate, they'll let you go. They don't know what she looks like."

"How do you…"

"Trust me!" she hissed. "But I need you to play along. I'm going to say I'm Kate and ask for them to let you go…"

"No," he said firmly. "You're a young girl, you shouldn't do this. I'm an old man, I don't have much use…"

"Everything is falling apart without you," she said quietly, looking sadly at him. "Michael came back but he didn't find Walt. He almost died because of me. Jack has been a mess…and they need you."

"Michael?" John looked shocked. In the dim light, she saw his face looked completely overwhelmed. He just looked back at her. "Why are you doing this? You don't even know me."

"I know that without you, they won't survive very long," she glanced up as there was a crack in the fire. "You and Jack are the foundation of everything you've got here. I'm just the new girl that messed everything up."

"Were you originally with the others?" he asked her quietly. "Did you come from here?"

"No," she shook her head. "I don't even know what they look like."

"Then how do you know they won't just kill us both?"

For a moment she was silent and then she looked up at him with a small smile.

"I just do."

Just then, there was the sound of footsteps above them.

"Jack, what are you doing?"

Kate found Jack sitting in the bedroom in the hatch absolutely tearing apart Satine's mother's suitcase. He had thrown the clothes clean across the room and was ravaging through the other items, tossing out the smaller makeup bags and perfumes. He tore it apart until he stopped when it was completely empty.

"It's not here," he whispered, not really to Kate but to himself. "Damn it, it's not here."

He stood and looked around at the strewn clothes and then hurried past Kate, almost knocking her over.

"What isn't there?" she asked him as he entered the main room and searched around him. "Jack! What are you missing?"

He stopped and turned to face her. Suddenly he looked very faint and stumbled to the seat at the table, sitting down heavily. Kate sat across from him and examined his face.

"I think I'm going crazy," he said quietly, his head very low and close to the table.

"I think you're exhausted and completely stressed out," Kate said quietly. "I think you need sleep."

"I can't sleep knowing she's out there alone," he gazed at Kate. Suddenly his eyes welled. "It's my fault."

"What is?" Kate asked as Jack looked down, fighting back tears. "Her leaving?"

"Everything," he sniffed and breathed shakily. "I don't have what it takes. I thought I could be their leader but…I can't."

"You've led us this far fine," she reached across the table and grasped his hand. "You haven't let us down yet."

Slowly Kate stood and took Jack's arm, pulling him up. Carefully she led him into the bedroom and lay him down on the bed, removing his shoes. He didn't resist and just lay there staring up at the bottom of the top bunk.

"If you leave this bedroom I'll kill you," she warned jokingly, leaning close to him. "Sleep."

He nodded and she went to turn but he grasped her arm quickly, scaring her.

"Kate," he said softly, almost dozing off. She bent down low and when she was only inches from his face, he smiled. "Thank you."

He was asleep before they'd even finished the kiss.


	18. Chapter 18: Off Target

"You're very special, Satine."

Satine looked up at John. A moment before the footsteps had gone right by the top of the trap door and faded.

John was looking very sadly at Satine, almost looking sorry for her.

"You're willing to sacrifice yourself for a bunch of people you don't know," he whispered, sitting right before her as sat against the side of the hole, holding her painful knee.

"I have nothing to go back to," she said softly, looking away from his piercing eyes. "My mother is gone, I really don't have any other family other than my dad. And he wouldn't be rushing to greet me when I was saved anyway. It's one less tuition to pay."

"You have a gift, the same gift I saw in Walt. Perhaps you two will be brought together in some way and beat of all this," he smiled gently at her.

"Did you see Walt?" she asked. "Is he okay?"

"I didn't see him. I have a feeling the people who took Walt aren't the same people who have me here. They're not as brutal here, and they want to use me to help them rebuild," he said quietly, his eyes glancing up. "Something destroyed everything they had."

"So that monster…that security system. It's not theirs?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"No, they fear it as much as we do. But they seem to know how to keep it at bay. They make…sacrifices to it," he said this carefully, looking very worried. "They give one of their own to it every time it comes too close."

"Is that why they took you?"

John shook his head. "No, they need me for hunting and tracking. They know I'm good at that thing. I think they've been spying on us longer than we know, and they know about the hatch. I think they might be planning to take it from us."

"They wanted you for hunting, what do they want Kate for?" she asked curiously, rubbing her knee.

John looked away and back up at the ceiling. Satine understood.

"That's why I can't let them take you," he said softly. "You're too small to fight them, you'll never be able to get away."

"I don't want to get away. I want to make sure they leave you alone," she insisted, looking very determined. "I didn't come here to get us both out. I came to give myself to them so they leave you all alone."

"But they're planning some sort of attack. I can't figure out if it's on us or the other people on this island. At one time they were one, living together but something happened. One of them got a weapon and the sides were split. They started living apart but it didn't work because the people on the beach have the fish and the food and the people here have the fresh water. They bargained for it but they want complete control." He looked aside. "It's going to be a war."

"And what do we have to do with it? Where does our side of the island come into play?"

"The hatch is a perfect place for a camp. They can all station themselves down there and barricade themselves in. There is a fresh water supply and infinite electricity. Someone could survive down there for a long time if they stocked up," he explained.

"So Jack and Ana-Lucia were right," Satine whispered. Her face was covered in fear. "They are going to attack us."

"Yes, and they won't stop until they have it taken. From what I know they have about twenty refugees from the tail section of the plane living in a camp a few miles from here. They're carefully watched but not hurt. They live like we do, fishing and hunting for food. But I think they took them in the first place to raise some kind of an army even if the women simply make weapons. There are children too, and I don't know what they'll do with them," Locke looked very sad for a moment. "We need to warn Jack and the others."

"You'll do that when they let you go," Satine insisted, nodding as though reassuring herself. "You can tell them what's coming."

"Satine…"

There were more footsteps and this time they didn't pass. Some of them gathered nearby and they heard voices talking quickly and loudly to each other. John had taken hold of Satine's hand and was holding it tightly. She knew this was a sign of comfort but it only made her fear what was coming.

Suddenly there was a shout and someone seized the roof of the trap door, yanking it upward.

"Oi!" shouted a dark figure, silhouetted by the firelight behind him. "Someone else is down here!"

And a gun was pointed at Satine.

"Hey!" Sawyer shouted.

Kate had come stumbling out of the jungle looking exhausted. She turned and saw Sawyer standing near one of the water holders.

"Any luck?" Sawyer asked, trying to hide his concern.

"No," Kate panted, dunking her bottle into the water filled tarp. "There isn't even a trail. We have no idea where she started off from."

"How far could she have gotten?" he asked, leaning against the tree. He sighed. "She's just a kid."

"She's not a kid," Kate laughed. "She'll be okay for a while. I have a feeling she'll come back."

"Maybe," Sawyer looked off into the trees. He tried not to imagine her lost and wandering, dehydrated and burning up. Closing his eyes to rid himself of the image, he reopened them to see Jack and Ana-Lucia approaching.

"How was your nap, sleeping beauty?" Sawyer cracked.

"Lovely, thank you," Jack snapped. "Kate, any luck?"

She shook her head, still drinking. Jack sighed in almost the same fashion Sawyer had. Ana-Lucia shot him a confused look.

"Well everyone knows she's gone and I can't admit some people are relieved," Jack looked around. "But we can't just give up."

"What if she's hurt?" Sawyer asked, not wanting to sound worried.

"Well, it's a big island. We can keep looking but we can't roam the island, it's not safe," Jack examined Sawyer's face. "Why? Did you see or hear something?"

"No," Sawyer shook his head, looking away. "Just wonderin'."

"I have a feeling she set up camp somewhere near some fresh water and will live on fruit for a while," Jack nodded. "She'll be fine. If she needs to come back she can."

Jack went to walk away with Ana-Lucia following and Sawyer suddenly called after him, causing him to turn back.

"Hey doc, if it was one of these ladies out there and no one else gave a damn, would you say the same?"

Sensing the distress in Sawyer's voice, Jack just gazed at him. Ana looked shocked but Kate looked away, seemingly agreeing with Sawyer.

When Jack had disappeared, Kate followed Sawyer as he headed towards his tent.

"Sawyer, you're worried about Satine, aren't you?" she asked him as he strode very quickly across the sand.

"Are you kidding me? She freaked me out," Sawyer insisted, reaching his chair and sitting down fast. "Everyone was scared of her."

"You weren't," Kate looked intently at him. "Sawyer, no one else cares but it seems you and I do."

"Why should I care?" he spat at her.

"Because ever since she got here she spent every waking moment with you. You don't have to deny you got close to her," she was looking desperately at him. "I care about her too, because I know how vulnerable she is. She's lost everyone in the world so fast. We don't know what she's going through."

"I do."

Kate looked confusedly at Sawyer. He seemed somehow thoughtful, something he never expressed before. He was staring hard out to sea, his eyes blank.

"Both my parents died on the same night, I was right there when it happened. I had nothing," he said gently, almost more to the setting sun than to Kate.

"You see yourself in her," Kate whispered. "I understand now."

"But she's just a kid," he looked at Kate, his eyes back in focus. "She shouldn't have to deal with this alone. I had to and it really messed me up."

"Then help me," Kate begged, her hand on Sawyer's arm. "Come with me to find her and bring her back so we can help her."

Sawyer looked at her for a moment.

"Okay," he nodded. "Let's go."

"Get up," demanded the dark figure above them. Satine struggled to her feet and John helped her. Her knee was swollen and she could barely put weight on it. "Where did you come from?"

"I came looking for him," she said, pointing at John.

"Are you from the plane?" demanded a voice behind the one with the gun.

"Yes," she said quietly.

"What is your name?"

"Kate," she said in a firm voice, her eyes not wavering. "I'm Kate."

There was murmuring and then someone lowered a rope. John went forward but the gun was moved to him.

"Just her."

Satine limped forward and John moved with her. She grabbed the rope and he helped lift her up. Once she was higher, a strong pair of hands grabbed her arms and yanked her up. When she was set down she toppled over from not being able to support herself on her knee. Someone grabbed her up and held her standing with a gun pressed into her back.

"Why did you come?" demanded the man before her. He had what looked like a cowboy hate on and a full beard that covered his face. Only his dark set eyes stared out at her. His dirty t-shirt and ripped pants gave the impression of someone who had been living in the jungle for months.

"I came to trade myself for him," she said shakily. Now she was becoming frightened. There were many other people around, all very strong looking men. Only a few women hung back and they looked just as tough. She tried to only look at the person who had spoken to her. "I know you wanted me and not him."

"What makes you think we are willing to make that trade?" asked the bearded man, coming closer to her. He stood right above her, smirking down at her.

"I can help you," she looked away from his glaring eyes. "You need me."

"Right you are!" laughed one of them and they all chuckled.

"I have…"

"No!" John shouted from below in the pit. Someone slammed the door shut.

"I have abilities," she said quietly, the gun pressed sharply into her back. "I can…help you in ways no one else can."

The man looked suddenly serious and he grabbed her arm, yanking her away from the man with the gun. She stumbled and he straightened her up, pushing her back so she stood just before the fire, facing all of them.

"Prove it," one snapped.

She stared around at them, her heart beating so hard and fast she was sure she'd faint. John's eyes peered out through the slats in the trap door and she locked eyes with him for a moment. Then she looked back up.

A vision of a little boy of only two came to her mind. He was running very fast across a busy lawn, many people standing around with drinks. A bon fire was going somewhere in the background and loud music played. But she followed this little boy as he toddled very very fast. Usually a child of that age would fall down but he didn't. He was going so fast then when he reached the edge of the pool he actually propelled himself into the air for a moment before splashing down.

No one heard the splash. No one around even looked towards the pool. And there was an image of a clean shaven man with an empty beer can in his hand, many below his feet lying asleep on a lawn chair.

Then she was standing back in front of the fire, facing these dirty men and women who at any moment could shoot her.

"Your son died when he was only two from drowning in a pool," she told the bearded man before her. He held the gun straight out at her. "You were too drunk to save him."

The gun hit her so hard across the face she felt blood pour down to her neck and soak her shirt. She fell hard to the ground, panting and putting a hand to her bleeding cheek. Blood soaked her hand and she could hear John shouting.

"Let him go and I can help you," she panted, her eyes drifting to John's as he stared out at her. "Let him go."

They were all staring at her with scared eyes. The bearded man was still standing above her, his chest heaving heavily. She was terrified that he was going to shoot her at any moment, that he'd take her by the throat and strangle her. She remained on the ground, the warm blood soaking the neck of her t-shirt. She realized it was one of Kate's shirts.

"Can you tell us what weapon they have?" the bearded man with the gun pointed it again at her head. "What is it they have that defeated us?"

She could barely breathe, the terror was so much within her. She looked up at the gun and wracked her mind.

"They have the boy," she whispered, spitting blood. "Walt. He has the same power I do."

No one moved and the bearded man kept the gun pointed at her face. She stared down the barrel of it, sure this was her last dying moment. Then he waved one of his arms and one of the other men came running to him.

"Release him," he said firmly, not taking his eyes from Satine. "Knock him out and drag him somewhere so he doesn't know where we are."

"Kate, don't you think we should make camp and wait 'till morning?" Sawyer panted as they continued hiking through the dense jungle. They'd left just as the sun went down and had been walking for more than two hours.

"If we stop, she'll just get farther ahead," Kate said stiffly from in front of him.

"She has a two day head start. I don't think a few hours will make much of a difference," Sawyer said simply, stopping. "We're making camp."

Kate stopped and faced him, her face determined. Then she sighed and helped.

When they had the fire build and had settled down to lean against their bags, Sawyer couldn't help but notice Kate looked extremely upset.

She noticed his look and looked back into the fire.

"I just keep picturing her lying with a broken neck somewhere," she whispered, her eyes reflecting the fire. "I don't see how people can just…not care."

"It's easier to not care when you pretend they're not people," Sawyer said, his eyes staring deep into the flames. "If everyone just refused to talk to her or admit she was a person, they had no problem with giving up on her."

"You never did," she looked up at Sawyer in the dark. "You saved her."

"Yeah well," sighing, Sawyer crossed his arms. "What're ya gonna do."

They were silent for a long time and they didn't know that only a mile and a half away a scuffle had broken out at the camp where Satine lay on the ground, her face bleeding severely.

"John!" Satine shouted as John launched himself at the man with the gun. "NO!"

John was able to tackle this man and get him on the ground. No one moved to help, as the gun was now being wrestled and no one wanted to get hit. John had his hands on it, and was trying desperately to wrestle it away. Satine struggled to her feet but an arm grabbed her arm firmly, keeping her from going forward.

"John!" she shouted again. "Stop! Please!"

The bearded man sent a powerful punch to John's injured shoulder and a howl filled the night that made a shiver crawl through everyone. Rolling over, John moaned and lay on his back, his face bright red.

"You bastard," the bearded man wiped blood from his lip. He pointed it down at John.

"No!" Satine screamed.

John gave the gun a hard kick and the gunshot went off, missing him.

No one moved, unsure of what had happened. John was slowly getting to his feet, holding his injured arm. He was looking around, unsure of what would happen.

"Take him," demanded the bearded man, looking harshly at John as though wanting nothing more than to kill him. "Leave him somewhere so he can find his way back."

"John," Satine's small voice came from out of nowhere. The man who had her arm looked down and was shocked to find his hand covered in blood.

"You shot her," John looked at the bearded man with wide eyes. "YOU SHOT HER."

"She's fine," the man holding her arm said, allowing her to fall weakly to her knees. "She was grazed on her side."

John looked at Satine, wanting to help her more than he could possibly say. She was on her knees, color draining from her face. The weakness was taking her as she watched a few other men approach John Locke. The first blow to his head sent him to the ground, the third and fourth knocking him out.

She watched them carry him away before fainting.


	19. Chapter 19: Traitor

The sun was just coming up and Kate and Sawyer were moving again. This time they went faster, running through the trees and not even looking for a trail. Every so often they would stop and examine their surroundings, leaving markers so they'd know how to get back. They hadn't been running two hours when Sawyer stopped.

"I ain't in the shape I used to be," he panted, holding his shoulder. "Man, it kills."

"You haven't taken your painkillers," Kate said, dropping her bag and taking out her water. "Do you have them with you?"

"Yeah right next to my shave kit and hairdryer," he joked, shaking his head. "It's fine."

"It's getting near noon. It'll start getting hot we should go slower and conserve water," she said, looking up with her hands on her hips.

"Well aren't you just little John Locke junior," he cracked, leaning against a tree. "You going to predict the rain too?"

"Yeah," she said, smiling. "It's going to start raining now."

He gave her a confused look just as a downpour came out of the bright sky. Sawyer looked up and then at her, looking shocked.

"The rain started over there so I could see it before it got to us," she laughed. "I'm not that good."

Sawyer just gave her a smirk before packing up his water again and setting off. They walked for almost a mile before the rain stopped. The puddles were deep and the ground muddy. It slowed them down, making their pace a lot harder.

"Do you think Jack is still looking?" Kate asked.

Suddenly she disappeared from Sawyer's line of sight with a tiny cry, as though she'd suddenly vanished. He stopped for a moment, not moving, and then walked forward.

"Kate…"

The ground disappeared from beneath Sawyer and he was tumbling down hard, smashing himself on rocks and branches as he rolled head over heels down the steep incline. When he finally crashed to a stop it was on a sharp pebble brook that ran through the ditch.

"Kate?" he groaned, rolling over onto his back. His shoulder was in agony and he felt like he'd broken his hand. "Are you okay?"

"Sawyer!" came Kate's desperate cry. "Sawyer! Quick!"

Scrambling to stand he limped down the ditch. Each side had to be more than ten feet high and he got the distinct feeling it was man made. The brook got slightly deeper and as he rounded the small corner he saw Kate bending over something.

"It's John!" she shrieked.

"Where are you going?" Sayid asked Jack, who was rushing around.

"Kate and Sawyer left only half a day ago. I can catch up with them," he said, zipping his bag. "I can find them."

"Not anymore," Sayid pleaded as Jack headed towards the exit. "The rain has washed away any kind of trail. They'll come back…"

"Not if whoever has John got to them first," he snapped, bursting through the door. He started off down the path with Sayid hot at his heels.

"You're not thinking sensibly. You'll do nothing but get yourself lost."

"Well what am I supposed to do, sit around here and wait for rescue? We can't wait, Sayid."

"There's nothing you can do!" Sayid shouted angrily. Jack stopped and turned to face Sayid. "Jack, this is one time you can't rush to the rescue."

"Help me turn him over," Kate said, moving over. Sawyer noted her badly scraped arms and a large gash on her collarbone. "Gently."

They were able to turn Locke over onto his back. From what they could see he was simply unconscious, but the wound on his shoulder looked bad. His head was bleeding in several spots. Kate listened to his chest and assured herself that he was alive.

"We have to get him back," she said, looking up the sides of the ditch. "Stay with him while I walk a bit down this ditch. I'll find a more level way to carry him out."

"We can't carry him all the way back," Sawyer said incredulously. "He weighs twice as much as me and probably ten times as much as you."

"We have to try!" she said, her voice cracking. She looked wild with her hair matted from the rain and her face dirty and bruised from the fall. Her eyes showed fear and desperation. "We can't just leave him here."

"We're only about a day from camp. Let me run back and get someone to…"

"No! We have to get him back!" she shrieked, standing up painfully, wincing at the pain in her neck. "If we get him back, Jack can treat him and maybe he's seen Satine."

"If we go back we'll lose all the ground we covered trying to find her," he said, wiping his wet hair from his face.

She looked at him for a moment, unsure of whether Sawyer wanted to play the hero, or whether he actually was worried about the girl.

"I'll be right back. Stay with him, see if you can get him to come around," she said firmly.

Kate trudged off down the brook. It got only slightly deeper and she splashed through it, looking on either side of her frantically. The sides were steep and obviously man made by the looks of the piles at the top. Her head was spinning and the pain in her neck excruciating. But if they stayed here and Locke didn't wake up, there was a chance he could be more severely injured than they knew. But if they went back they'd be sure John was okay and maybe could find out more information.

She didn't know what to do and she trudged along for a long time before stopping.

At the end of the brook was what looked like a drain. She blinked a few times, sure her eyes were deceiving her. In the ground at the end of this brook was what had to be a roughly made sewer drain. It was round and dug into the side of the ditch, possibly made out of thin malleable steel. She walked up to it and bent to look inside. It was lined with plastic, possibly tarp. Water ran straight through it and out of sight.

Someone had dug themselves a water line. She looked down. The pebbles probably cleaned the water so when it reached them it was fresh. She couldn't believe it, standing up and feeling as though someone had just spun her in a circle. Shaking her head to clear it, she looked up and saw beside the drain the incline was more level and looked easy to climb even in the mud. Turning back, she started to run back to Sawyer.

Sawyer ordered a second drink as he replaced his sunglasses. The paper he was reading wasn't very interesting but there was nothing else to read and just closing his eyes was enough to torture a man.

The sky was a crisp blue as Sawyer sipped his martini, the hot Australian sun baking his skin but he remained on the open patio, enjoying the view. The trouble he'd gone through just to get into this exclusive club earned him a nice relaxing day away from the trouble he was in outside of this pricey, high class world.

Around the side of the patio was a pool and he could hear the sounds of kids jumping in and splashing around. It wasn't an annoying sound, actually, it was quite soothing. He decided to fold his newspaper and shut his eyes for a moment.

"Sir?" said a voice just as he had gotten comfortable. "I think this is yours."

Looking up Sawyer saw one of the waiters holding his wallet. In his other hand was the arm of a young girl only about five in her bathing suit with long blonde hair and a round face.

"She seems to have sticky fingers," snapped the waiter. "Be assured I will be making her mother aware."

Sawyer ignored the waiter, his eyes locked on the little girl. She stared at him with eyes that seemed to see through him, eyes that told him exactly what he'd done.

"Mr. Ford?" asked the waiter through Sawyer's trance like state. "Would you like me to eject them from the club?"

"No," Sawyer said quickly, coming back to reality. "Just leave it. I'll have a word with the child."

The waiter nodded, heading off to attend to other things. The girl remained standing on the patio beside him, her wet hair dripping onto the wood. Her bathing suit had pink flowers on it and they matched her rosy cheeks.

"You like to take other people's things?" he asked her, storing his wallet, which was slightly wet, back in his pocket.

"I didn't take it," she whispered, her eyes wide as she stared at him. "My cousin did."

"Oh yes? And tell me, is your cousin an FBI agent or just a thief?" he snapped, not bothering to be nice.

"She knows you," the girl's voice seemed so firm for a five-year-old. Sawyer looked back at her. "I do too."

"Oh and how is that?" he asked her angrily.

"I know you," she repeated and Sawyer felt extremely uncomfortable all of a sudden. He felt like all eyes were suddenly on him and this blonde girl standing near him.

"Yeah, and I know you too. I saw you on Australia's Most Wanted. Get lost and keep out of my stuff," he spat at her, replacing his sunglasses.

"She won't forget your name anymore," said the small voice after he'd closed his eyes. "Good afternoon, Mr. Sawyer."

"Sawyer!" Kate came running back down the brook. Sawyer sat on the incline, facing John who still lay unconscious. "I found a place we can get up."

"Fine by me. Do you want to sling him over your back or should I?" he replied smartly, getting to his feet painfully. His arm felt ready to fall off but he wasn't about to admit that.

"We can do it slowly," she said, bending near Locke's head. "Be careful of his shoulder."

Kate gripped John's wrists tightly and Sawyer took his legs. On three they lifted and only got a few feet before dropping him back down, Sawyer giving a harsh grunt and turning away.

"Sawyer…"

"It's fine!" he snapped at her. "I got shot it ain't gonna heal in a day."

"I think you're right," she said softly, sighing and looking up. The sky was darkening and she knew more rain was coming. "We should make camp for tonight and maybe he'll wake up by tomorrow. Hopefully he was just knocked on the head."

"But why would they hit him on the head and leave him?" Sawyer asked, sitting back down on the muddy incline. "Makes no sense to me."

"I don't know," she sighed. "But let's at least get him out of this brook. We can make camp and in the morning decide what to do."

Sawyer seemed to agree. For a moment they both just stared down at Locke's unconscious body as though willing it to move. Then they both lifted and with a bit more heart, moved down the brook.

When they reached the end near the drain, Sawyer almost dropped Locke's legs in shock.

"Is that what I think it is?" he panted.

"Yeah. They made some kind of a drain probably because the water supply is scarce where they are farther inland. The runoff here is good," she huffed as she started up the incline backwards. She immediately sunk into the mud and had to scramble to catch her footing.

It took them a long time but finally Kate reached the top and dragged Locke backwards before reaching down and grabbing Sawyer's good arm to pull him up. They lay at the top for a moment in the wet leaves panting and Sawyer started laughing.

"Never thought we'd be luggin' big bad Locke around like a suitcase," he laughed, sitting up and leaning against the tree.

"Just shut up and start a fire," Kate snapped.

Slowly Satine awoke, looking around. The pain in her side was blinding and she almost passed out from the pain. Her hand traveled down and she was shocked to find stitches had been roughly sewn into her skin. Where she felt was extremely raw and she knew it would be infected in days, she wasn't dumb. The wire they had used was thick and almost felt spiny. Every breath caused more pain and she felt like she was hyperventilating.

"Calm down," said a voice beside her. Looking up and around she saw a dark canvas above her lit up by flame nearby. Whatever she lay on was soft and she turned her head and knew there was a pillow beneath it.

Sitting beside her was a tall thin woman no older than thirty. She had long dirty blonde hair that hung in tangles around her face. She reminded Satine a little bit of Claire, with kind blue eyes. But the amount of dirt on her skin and the roughness of her voice told Satine other wise.

"Do not try to move," she ordered, using a cloth to wipe the perspiration from Satine's face. Satine pushed her hand away. "I would behave if I were you. You're in no position to argue."

"John," Satine croaked, every word like a knife in her side. "Is John okay?"

"The bald one? Yes, they left him somewhere to be found," snapped the woman, standing and bringing the bowl of water to another area. Satine tried to focus her eyes and saw she was in a large tent made roughly of sewn together canvas and tarp. To her horror she knew the twine in her side was the same holding the tent together.

"Are you a doctor?" whispered Satine, feeling extremely faint.

"A nurses aide. I stitched your side or you would have bled out," she spoke with cold words. "Your face will have to heal on its own."

Bringing a weak hand up, Satine winced at the large gash in her cheek from when she was struck by the gun. Her heart was pounding so hard the blood pulsing to her wound made it throb. She knew she wouldn't be conscious for much longer. She began regretting her decision to pretend to be Kate. Was this how she really wanted it? Would she die here of the infection and they would attack them anyway?

No, she told herself firmly. She has secured their survival at least for a while. If she dies, it may be another story but Satine wasn't ready to die yet. She had to make sure everything was okay back where she'd first washed up on shore. Her throat tightened thinking about Sawyer. He was everything she had on this island. She saw him as both a father and a brother and the idea of never seeing him again made her stomach churn painfully.

"Is she awake?"

A voice sounded from the door and Satine's breathing quickened. She knew that voice, it was the same voice that had struck her, that had shot her. From where she lay she couldn't see the opening to the tent but could hear his footsteps fall heavily towards her, boots clanking. She tried not to breathe too hard but it was impossible, the fear filling her.

"Welcome back," said the bearded man, looking over her. "I see you're feeling better?"

Satine didn't more nor speak. If he ever knew who she really was, if he knew Kate was actually living quite peacefully on the other side of the island it would be over. She knew she'd be dead within the minute.

"We're going to need you soon, so keep up your strength," he said coldly, no warmth in his harsh voce. His beard was dirty and his teeth yellowed and rotted. She wanted to look away but felt herself locked on his piercing gaze. "We've got some business to attend to on the other side of the island."

"You…said," she tried to struggle out but the pain in her side was almost knocking her out. "You said you wouldn't hurt them."

"I never said that," he laughed heartily and she felt her stomach drop. "No, I said I'd let your bald friend go. We need that shelter for when the war starts. They're not using it properly so we're going to have to take it any way we can and you're going to help us."

No, she pleaded with her mind. This wasn't happening. She had gone to the wrong side, she had fallen into the wrong hands.

The bearded man bent low over her, watching her face as she panted in agony, close to passing out. He gave a yellow smile and she wanted to slap it.

"And we'll make sure that cowboy friend of yours is first," he whispered so only she could hear.

He patted her head and walked heavily out of the tent, his boots clanking.


	20. Chapter 20: Prepare for Battle

"Satine."

Kate stirred a bit. She was asleep although half of her mind was still awake, listening for sounds outside the crackling of their fire.

"Satine."

She knew someone was calling that name, but she was terrified to open her eyes. What if someone was in their camp looking for Satine?

"Kate."

Opening her eyes she saw Sawyer was still asleep beside her. Sitting up she looked around. Outside the glow of their small fire there was pure darkness, pressing in on all sides. She saw the sky was lightening over the trees and knew dawn was near. But where had the voice been coming from?

Suddenly a hand gripped her wrist and she screamed. Sawyer jerked out of his sleep and looked around blearily.

"John!" Kate scrambled to come around to his side. He was waking up, looking around dazedly. "Help me sit him up."

Sawyer came around and grabbed John's good arm, pulling him up and leaning him against a tree. John blinked his eyes a few times and winced at the pain in his shoulder and his head.

"John? Can you hear me?" Kate asked, bending and looking into his eyes. "Say something."

"Ow," he said, putting a hand to his head.

"He's okay," Kate sighed, looking extremely relieved. Sawyer was sitting back, watching carefully.

"Kate," John suddenly grabbed her arm tightly. She spun back to face him. His eyes were wide. "It's Satine."

"Is she okay?" she grabbed a water bottle and handed it to John. "Did you see her?"

"She's captured," he drank some and began to cough. "She got shot."

Kate gasped and Sawyer's eyes widened, his breathing almost stopping.

"What?" Kate whispered.

"We need to get back," John looked around. "How far are we from camp?"

"About a days walk," Sawyer said, still eyeing John suspiciously. "Did Satine die?"

"No," John was breathing heavily. "But she got grazed and was definitely injured. We need to get back to camp."

"Tell us what happened!" Kate exclaimed, sounding hysterical.

"Not until we're back!" snapped John. "It's not safe to speak out here!"

Sawyer and Kate exchanged a look. Quickly, Sawyer began to put out the fire and Kate packed up the water. When they were finally ready, the sun was beginning to rise and they both got on one side of Locke and lifted.

"Hey," Hurley said, coming up the path and finding Jack sitting alone under a tree, staring off. "What's goin' on?"

"Kate and Sawyer aren't back yet," Jack said in a monotone voice.

"Yeah, they probably are just camping out there," Hurley nodded. "So…wanna play some golf?"

"Not now," Jack waved his hand.

"What, you too busy?"

Jack gave Hurley a glare that would have sent anyone else running for the hills. But Hurley stood there without budging.

Giving in, Jack stood and began walking with Hurley towards the higher hill where the golf course was set up.

"You're pretty worried about Kate and Sawyer, huh," Hurley observed as they trudged through the jungle.

"This place isn't safe. Who knows what they've gotten into out there," Jack said morosely.

"Way to be positive, man," laughed Hurley.

"It's hard to be positive, Hurley."

Silencing himself, Hurley tried to take pride in the fact that he'd gotten Jack to do something else other than mope around and worry. When they reached the green, neither had remembered to bring the clubs.

"Dude," Hurley noticed Jack looked nervously around. "You have got to chill."

"I can't chill!" Jack burst angrily, turning away.

"If you really thought they were in danger you would have gone after them by now!" Hurley exclaimed, not usually getting so worked up.

"How do you know?" spat Jack.

"Because I know how you feel about her man, and if you didn't think she was safe with Sawyer I know you'd be out there right now looking for them."

Jack stood there for a moment not speaking. Hurley knew he had hit a nerve.

"I don't trust Sawyer," Jack said in a low voice, looking off toward the mountain. "But I don't think he'd let anything happen to her."

"Exactly," Hurley agreed, coming up beside Jack and patting his back. "So why not relax a bit? They'll be back soon."

"Thanks Hurley," Jack smiled. "I'll get the clubs."

"John, are you going to tell us…"

"Just keep moving."

Sawyer and Kate each had one of John's arms and even though he was walking pretty well, if they let go he'd fall to the ground. He was weak and couldn't walk on his own. They were moving faster than expected, because the nervous glances Locke was giving them made them both nervous.

Whenever they stopped to rest, Locke would turn nervously in a circle, watching the jungle around them until they got back to their feet. When they had reached a point where they knew they were closer to camp, they began to slow.

"What happened?" Kate gasped as they went more slowly through some brambles. "What happened to Satine?"

"They wanted me for hunting," he admitted, gasping as they hurried along. "But they couldn't trust me so they left me in one of those underground trap doors."

"But where does Satine come in?" Sawyer demanded as they found the path.

"Let's save our energy and get back," Locke assured them. "I'll tell you everything."

They trudged along the path and although they were almost completely exhausted knew how close they were. When they could see the beach they got heartened and found the extra energy to carry them forward until they came out near the caves.

Kate and Sawyer put John down on Jack's medical mat. Sun came around the corner and gasped at the sight of them.

"Where's Jack?" Kate demanded.

"He's with Hurley," Sun stammered, her eyes on Locke who was looking very pale and weak. "I'll…"

"I'll go. Where?" Kate was very pushy, looking hysterical. "Sun!"

"The golf course!" Sun exclaimed, coming back to reality. "They're on the golf course."

Kate took off running, all of her energy returning.

"Nice shot!" Hurley shouted as Jack sank one. "Dude, so nice."

"We doctors have a lot of practice," Jack laughed, handing Hurley the club. "Let's see if you can do the same."

Hurley prepared to swing and Jack was watching but turned away suddenly. Something had echoed, almost like a shout. He listened but the wind was blowing, moving the trees. Shaking his head, Jack turned back but this time the shout was clearly his name.

Spinning on the spot he knew Hurley had heard it too because he had stopped midswing.

Someone was sprinting across the valley towards them from the path leading back to the caves. Jack squinted through the bright sunlight, shielding his eyes.

"Jack!" Kate shouted as she raced towards him.

Jack took off running so fast that he forgot he had a club in his hand and dropped it halfway. He met Kate at the brink of the hill and they collided and she hugged him so tightly the wind was knocked out of him.

He held onto her for a moment too long because she had pushed him away.

"We found Locke!" she shrieked. He saw her arms were cut and there was a gash on her collar. She was practically trembling and her eyes were wild. "Come on!"

They took off running and Hurley watched them go.

"Don't worry about me! I'm right behind ya!" he shouted, slowly packing up the clubs.

"Where was he?" Jack shouted as they ran. Kate was wavering a bit and he knew she was probably exhausted and dehydrated.

"No time," she gasped, barely any breath coming out of her.

They reached the caves and Kate stopped running before Jack did. Jack sprinted to where John sat up against the side of the cave, drinking water.

"I'm fine," John said as Jack began examining his shoulder. "Jack, stop."

"It's infected," Jack panted, looking around. "I need my bag."

"Jack!"

Sawyer, Kate, and Jack all looked at John slowly.

"We need to talk…inside," he said weakly, looking around at them. "Alone."

"Oi!" Charlie erupted from somewhere in the midst of the many people surrounding them. "Who says you three get to keep all the secrets?"

"Then come along," John groaned as Jack helped him up.

"Wake her up and bring her outside," demanded a voice, breaking into Satine's painful sleep.

Someone shaking her shoulder jerked her awake. Wincing at the pain in her side which had now escalated to a point she thought might be called agony, she was forced to sit up.

"Oh…" she felt almost nauseous from it.

The same hand that had stitched her closed yanked her off the table. Her sore knee immediately gave out but the hand gripped her upper arm tightly, keeping her standing.

"You're hurting me," Satine whimpered.

"Shut up."

She was pushed through the tent flap and out into the area near the giant bon fire. No one was around except for the bearded man who stood with the gun in front of the fire. He was nothing but a dark blurry silhouette as Satine was shoved towards him.

As soon as the woman let go of her arm she sank to her knees painfully, trying not to take deep breaths.

"Stand," demanded the bearded man, the gun pointed at Satine's head.

"I can't," she gasped.

"Stand."

Someone yanked her up by the scruff of her neck and when they let go she remained standing, wavering.

"You will tell us what they know," he demanded, the gun still pointed at her.

"It doesn't work that way," she breathed, trying not to pass out.

"Make it work."

She didn't want to work against the people that had rescued her, but she knew that if she lied she could end up hurting them more. It didn't matter because that wasn't how it worked.

"They don't know anything about you," she gasped, bent over. "They only know that you exist and that you were here before the crash."

"Some of us," laughed the bearded man and chuckles rang out behind Satine. She knew people were behind her but didn't want to look. "What else?"

"That's basically it? They figured this island was deserted but then they found that French lady and the hatch…"

"This hatch," he stepped closer to her, the flames licking the night sky behind him, casting shadow over his dark face. "Tell me about it."

"It's just a bunker. It has a bedroom and a shower and a kitchen," she felt extremely breathless and wondered if they needed her alive. "It's like a small apartment under ground."

"Is there food in it?" a voice erupted from behind her.

The shot rang out so close to Satine's ear that she swore her ear drum had popped. The bearded man had shot whoever had spoken, and she heard the sickening sound of the body hit the ground. Satine began trembling uncontrollably and fell to the ground.

"We prepare tonight," he said aloud to the rest of the people. "We need supplies and weapons. Women can prepare food and water for the journey across the island."

"What are you going to do?" Satine gasped from her place on the ground.

"We need that bunker," the bearded man stepped over her. "And we're going to get it."


	21. Chapter 21: On the Fence

"You all have to calm down before I start talking," John demanded from his seat at the booth.

Sawyer, Jack, Kate, and Charlie were all chattering like birds after entering the hatch and shutting and locking the door from the inside. After John spoke they immediately all shut up.

Locke sighed and looked up at them.

"They had a list of everyone they were going to take from our side of the island," John began slowly. "Everyone who was taken was on that list."

"Taken?" Jack asked.

"The people from the tail of the plane went first and by the time they started on us, we had joined sides and it was harder to do. They got the list from the manifest but if you remember correctly, we've had the manifest all along. So I don't know which one they were talking about, but they chose names according to who the people they had already taken knew, and by whom they'd seen wandering in the jungle. It's my suspicion that possibly more survivors had landed in the jungle and were taken before ever reaching the beach and that they sent spies to find out who we were," he said, looking around at them.

"But did they know the plane was going to crash here?" Kate asked quietly. She was still shaking.

"No. When they saw it crash they immediately knew there would be rescue planes coming so they sent out a signal saying a plane had gone down several miles south of here…"

"They have a radio?" Jack burst.

"No. They had a transmitter that can only transmit to another island not far from here. But it died a few weeks ago during a storm and they haven't been able to get it working since," Locke looked very pale as he spoke. "Anyway, they had the list and I wasn't on it."

"Then why did they take you?" Charlie asked.

"The next person on the list was Kate," Jack looked at her and more color drained from her skin. "But when they found me, they scratched her off the list."

"Why Kate?" demanded Sawyer. "Why did they choose her?"

"I told you, I don't know," Locke was breathless. "But I went because I didn't want them coming back to find you. They realized they could use me for labor and hunting. But after a while I was too badly injured to help so they left me in the pit for a long time."

No one spoke, just listening to Locke.

"I don't know why Satine left this camp but she came into theirs as bold as ever. She fell in the trap door with me and said she was leaving to save you all. She told me she had nothing left on this island and wanted you all to survive without worrying about the others. She said her name was Kate and when they realized she was next on the list, they knew they had to keep her."

"She pretended to be me?" Kate barely gasped. She looked completely frazzled and was still trembling, as she stood there, filthy and bloody.

"She said if they let me go, she'd help them using her abilities," Locke looked around at them. "You cannot deny the girl did have some special qualities. Well whether she exaggerated them or not, it worked. They were going to let me go."

"You left her?" Sawyer asked incredulously.

"No. I tried to wrestle the gun from the other guy but it went off, hitting her. She was grazed on her side but deep enough to hurt her. Last I saw of her, she had fainted. They have to keep her alive, they need her for their plan," Locke looked near fainting.

"What plan?" Jack asked quietly.

"They believe half of their party is on the other side of the island. They had all been together but split up over a weapon which I believe is Walt," everyone's eyes widened, "and now the people on the beach want the inland and the people inland want the beach. But the people I know want this hatch in order to stage their battle from here."

"How do they know about it?" Kate whispered.

"They knew it was here before we did. But they couldn't get it open. So they gave up on it."

"Wait, so are they here by choice?" Sawyer demanded. For a moment it looked as though his hands were trembling but he pocketed them. "Or were they stranded."

"That I do not know," Locke sighed. "But what I do know is they're going to use her against us, possibly to get into our heads."

"She wouldn't. She sacrificed herself for us, why would she go against us?" Kate asked and Jack moved to put a hand on her trembling shoulder.

"She's injured and they have guns. She may have given herself up for us but when a gun is pointed at your head, you'll do anything," Locke said quietly.

No one spoke and for a moment Charlie looked extremely upset. Jack kept his hand on Kate's shoulder as she continued to shake. Sawyer had a hand on his face.

"If they're coming, we have to prepare," Jack announced a few moments later. "We need to get all the women and injured into this hatch and lock it from the inside. All the strong men will have to join us and…."

"We can give each a gun," Locke said from his spot. He had no color in his face. "If there was any time to use them, it's now."

"They have guns too, it doesn't make it any better," Sawyer snapped. He looked furious. "A shootoff will do nothing but kill half of us."

"What do you propose we do?" Jack spat.

"We have to try to save the kid," Sawyer said a bit more gently.

"If we go back there, they're going to come after us," said Jack, his face burning red. "If we try to save her, they'll kill us all."

"What are we going to let her die out there?" Sawyer shouted angrily, coming face to face with Jack.

"She sacrificed herself! She knew what she was getting into!" screamed Jack.

"Stop!" Kate pleaded weakly.

"She is risking her neck for us and you want to leave her with those lunatics? Didn't you hear, she got shot!" Sawyer was pressed up against Jack and they were nose to nose. Kate stood shakily and tried to move between them.

"They will kill us!" Jack said, enunciating each syllable.

"They'll kill her once they have this hatch and we're all dead! We'd at least have her on our side!"

"If you love her so god damn much, YOU go after her!" Jack shouted, spit flying from his mouth.

Sawyer stepped down and Kate was able to move between them, her back to Jack as she watched Sawyer's face. She could see that a million things were racing through Sawyer's head at once and that Jack had not only spoken the truth, but also rubbed it in his face.

"We'll plan," Locke said, breaking the horrible silence. "I would give it maybe four days until they plan to try to take the hatch."

"Would it be so bad to give it up?" suggested Charlie. "We could take all the really important stuff and move it out."

"This is our only source of shelter," Jack said plainly, avoiding Kate's eye. "We can't give it up."

"But…"

"We need to gather all the strong men together and get them ready. Locke, when you're feeling better you can teach them all how to hold a gun," Jack's voice shook as he looked around at them.

With that, he left.

"Mom, where are we going?" Satine laughed as he mother led her out of the car by the hand, still blindfolded.

"Just wait!" she said loudly. Satine could hear crowds around her and she knocked into several people, apologizing. She could smell something, like the ocean but she wasn't sure because of the smog in the air.

"Okay, ready?"

Satine nodded and pulled off the blindfold.

Before her, sitting in the dock was an enormous cruise ship. They were in the harbor after six hours of driving and now before her people were boarding this giant craft.

"Mom," she whispered. "We can't afford this."

"I'll use everything I have to give you a wonderful birthday," said her mother sweetly, putting an arm around her daughter. "Think of it as one last fling before we admit our defeat."

Satine knew he mother meant well but just one ticket on this cruise would be mostly everything they had left and even if they charged it, they'd never be able to pay it back. But she looked down and saw her mother had two tickets in her hand as she hurried back to the car to unload their things.

"Mom," Satine said softly, coming up beside her. "I know you want to do this for me but seriously, don't. I'd appreciate a quiet dinner alone with you. I don't want you to do this."

"It's done," she said, holding up the tickets and handing Satine her bag. "Paid for and everything. Let's just enjoy it."

"But mom…"

Her mother spun after shutting the trunk and handing the keys to someone to park it. Facing her mother, Satine almost felt afraid.

"I don't want to hear any more about it. Be grateful, Satey. After this we have a long road ahead of us. We both need this one last thing."

Satine could see the desperation in her mother's eyes. It was a look of completely loss, as though she knew that immediately when she got back from this cruise they would be completely poor and have to move. Satine knew her father would move out and her and her mother would be left alone to fend for themselves, neither having a job or credentials. They had lived their lives in luxury and suddenly it would be gone.

"Come on," her mother smiled at her and linked their arms. "All aboard!"

Forcing a smile, Satine followed her mother aboard the ship.

Her eyes snapped open and once again she was in that horrible canvas tent. This time she couldn't move. The pain was so severe every little movement made her eyes water. Looking around desperately she saw a knife lying on the small makeshift table across the room. If she could get it, she thought painfully, she could cut out the stitches. They were causing the horrible infection and pain, and she knew they had to come out.

Slowly she raised herself up. The cry of agony swelled within her and she bit her lip so hard it began to bleed. Slowly she lowered herself to the ground. Sweat poured from her skin, the fever making her so dizzy it was hard to stand. Slowly she limped forward, the table looking miles away.

Finally she felt her hand land on the table and she felt for the knife. The cold handle of it gripped within her fingers and as she raised it, something hit her so hard in the head it sent her falling backwards into the canvas side.

The scream that erupted from her echoed far and wide. She felt suddenly dizzy from the pain and as the knife was wrenched from her hand, she passed out again.

"We need to talk," Kate stood before Jack as he knelt on his bed, putting things into his bag.

"About what?" Jack asked nonchalantly, nervously zippering it and placing it aside.

"Jack, you're jumping into things," she said, kneeling in front of him. The firelight cast their shadows against the cave wall. Everyone else was asleep. "I know you want to protect us here, but you need to think about it."

"There's nothing to think about. If they're going to attack us we have to think about how we're going to defend…"

"No," she stopped him. "You want to leave Satine to fend for herself. She's 18…"

"Kate," Jack suddenly looked up at her. "They wanted to take you."

She looked at him and could see his hands were now shaking.

"They would have taken you…and we never would have seen you again," he whispered, his voice trembling. "I…I couldn't risk that."

"We have everyone ready to fight. No one could have…"

"They took Walt right out of Michael's hands," he hissed, moving closer to her. He was practically shaking and she saw his eyes were shining. "No matter what we did, they would have taken you."

"Jack, nothing happened to me. Nothing is going to happen to me. We're going to fight and we're going to win," she said, her hand reaching his shaking arm.

"No," he breathed heavily, looking at her as though struggling to hold back tears. "You're not going to fight."

"You think I'm going to sit back here with the women while the men go out and fight? Since when have I ever let that happen?" she demanded, looking offended. "I'm just as capable…."

"I am asking you," he spoke slowly and carefully, his voice shaking so bad it was hard to get the words out. "I am asking you for once…to just give in and stay behind."

"You're out of your mind," she shook her head and sat back on her heels. She went to stand and her grabbed her arm.

Slowly, very slowly she lowered herself back down before him. He was panting, and she knew he was crying. Everything that had happened was closing in on him. They would have to fight for their right to survive on this island and Jack knew it was all on him to lead everyone through it.

"If something happens to you," he whispered, looking at her with wide eyes. "I'm better off dead."

Kate wasn't sure what to do. She felt her head swimming and knew his hand was on her arm. The pain running through him seemed to transfer to Kate and for a moment they just looked at each other in the silence.

"I am asking you," he began, his whole body trembling. She put her hands on his and he had to take a deep breath. "I am pleading with you to stay. I need to know that when I come back you'll be here."

"Jack, Satine is out there. I need to find her…"

"Kate!" he looked ready to collapse. "Promise me…"

"I can't, Jack," she whispered.

"Please."

His eyes bored into her and she felt sick.

"I promise," she whispered, leaning forward.

He kissed her with everything he had and when he stopped, he let out a small smile before hugging her.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Kate just nodded.


	22. Chapter 22: Battle Ranks

Chapter 22: Battle Ranks

Sawyer watched as Jack and Locke gathered all the able bodied men near the caves to explain the situation. Everyone looked edgy and nervous, they knew something big was happening.

Yet as everyone was being told about Satine being captured and the threats, Sawyer sat in the shelter with Kate.

"I promised him I wouldn't," she was saying quietly to him as she held cut up t-shirts to make bandages.

"You're going to have to break that promise," he said stiffly as he stood there watching her.

"I want to save Satine just as much as you do but at this point, I don't know how much success we'd have," she said morosely, leaning against the counter and looking up at him. "How would we even get her away in time?"

"I have this feeling that they're going to bring her with them when they come," he said insistently. "She'll be right there, probably at the head of them. If we can get her out of the way…"

"Sawyer, you never told us what you were planning," Kate said, looking concerned.

He looked down and away.

"John will be teaching you how to use guns," Jack was announcing to the group of maybe thirty men.

"Guns?" said Charlie loudly. "You're giving us guns?"

"We have enough for everyone. But we need to learn how to use them first," Jack said, ignoring Charlie's look of shock. Claire was standing by him and it was obvious she was terrified.

"Do we know what kind of people they are?" asked a bespectacled man they all knew as Tom. "What if they're savages?"

"We don't want a savage battle. We want to make sure they know we're not giving up our shelter without a fight," Locke said from beside Jack. "I assure you, we'll try as hard as we can to keep it simple."

"Simple? We're going to all be bloody killed!" raged Charlie angrily. He turned and saw Claire standing near him with Aaron. "And what about the women?"

"The women will stay in the shelter," Jack looked extremely nervous as he spoke. "We'll lock it from the inside so if anyone gets past us, they can't get in."

There was murmuring and Jack knew that everyone was scared. He wished there was more to say to make them feel better but there really was nothing. The truth of it was, they now had to fight to survive.

"If you'll all follow John, he's going to take you up to the valley and show you the finer points of shooting," Jack pointed at Locke, who was standing by the trail with a rifle over his shoulder.

The crowd moved forward and as Charlie passed Jack he gave him a glare. Jack took this as a sign of disappointment.

"Well, doc, I think you've got them officially scared out of their minds," Sawyer said smugly, coming out of the path from the door to the hatch.

"What do you want me to do, lie?" Jack snapped, getting down from the rock he'd been standing on.

"No, but I think there's a better way than handing a bunch of scared nutcracks guns," Sawyer said, leaning against the wall of the cave.

"And what is your idea?"

"Explosives," Sawyer said in a low voice, his eyes narrowing. "If we can set up a line of explosives, when they cross it they'll be blown away."

"You wanted to save Satine, remember?" spat Jack, sitting and crossing his arms.

"See, I have a plan," Sawyer bent at his knees to crouch in front of Jack. "I'll go and get captured by them so I'm with her when they come. They won't leave prisoners behind. And I'll know where the line is so I'll grab her…"

"No, Sawyer," Jack said so firmly Sawyer was taken aback. "And if you go get yourself captured, don't even think about coming back."

"Who made you Commander in Chief?" snapped Sawyer, standing angrily.

"If you do anything to jeopardize this," Jack suddenly advanced on Sawyer, cornering him against the wall of the cave. "If you even try to break away from us, I swear to god…"

"What will you do, shoot me?" Sawyer growled.

"Yes," Jack raised his chin. "I will."

"What's going on here?" Kate said, coming around the corner. "Jack?"

"Nothing, just talking," Jack said hurriedly, turning and walking away. Kate saw he was shaking and followed him as he started through the jungle towards the beach.

"Are you okay?" she asked him as he hurried along.

"He's going to try something," he breathed.

"No, he's not. Jack, you really need to take care of yourself before you do anything else," she begged, following at a jog.

"I'm fine," he snapped.

"Yeah, that's why you just walked off the path and the wrong way," she barked angrily. He stopped and turned to face her. "You're shaking, you're exhausted."

"You haven't slept since you got back," Jack said quietly, looking at her with blank eyes. He looked beyond exhausted. "You don't look so great yourself."

"Let's take a nap," she pleaded. "Please, we need you in top shape."

As much as Jack wanted to say no and continue working, he knew if he kept going he'd be useless when it finally came time to fight. Sighing and giving in, he let Kate lead him back to the hatch.

"What are they planning?"

Satine could hear them talking to her but through the daze her fever was bringing on, it sounded muffled. She knew she was sitting up, or rather being held up. Slowly she brought herself around and looked up at the same bearded man.

"What are they planning?" he repeated, kneeling in front of her.

"I…don't know," she whispered, her throat painfully dry. She wasn't even in pain anymore, so far beyond the agony in her side. She tried not to think about the fact that if she had been with Jack, she'd be feeling so much better by now. He was a doctor…he could help her.

"You do know. Perhaps we should adjust those stitches?"

Someone tugged on the stitches and she felt her infected skin tear away and the scream never left her, only a wave of dizziness and nausea. She knew she probably looked like she was near death and as much as she wanted to see Sawyer one last time, she wished she'd die.

"You said you could help us, maybe we should get your friend back," the bearded man said to her, his face close to hers.

"They…have guns," she choked, leaning against whatever kind of wall was behind her. Her head kept lolling from side to side. "They…are training."

"Training! Ha!" laughed the evil man before her. "They think they can train an army in such a short time?"

"Please," she could barely speak without feeling ready to vomit. "I need…Jack."

"Jack? Who is Jack?" he demanded, raising her face.

"The doctor," she sighed, closing her eyes.

"Aah, a doctor? Well, you ain't gonna get a doctor. You're going to be out there with us when we leave at dawn," he said to her, holding her face towards him. "And you'll be the first to go."

"Mom! More room service?" Satine demanded, as there was a second knock on the door in two hours. She just stood there instead of opening it, in her small black dress and done up hair and makeup. She's just gotten back from one of the many parties she'd had to attend alone on board.

"Oh come on, honey! We're living it up!" squealed her mother like a child, racing to open the door and pull in the cart.

"It's like two hundred every time you lift that phone," Satine stood with her hands on her hips. "We can still say it was a mistake, that we didn't want this."

"Satey, did I not tell you that money was not an issue on this trip?" she snapped, sitting on the bed in her robe as she removed the lids from the meals. "Oh, this looks wonderful."

"Mom, money is an issue. It's going to be an issue for a long time. You're not helping it! Dad is going to get this bill and kick us both out!"

"He already has," snapped her mother harshly.

Satine stood there not saying anything. Her mother put her head down, realizing what she'd said.

"We decided when I came back we'd move out," she said quietly, sighing.

"When were you planning on telling me?" Satine whispered, her heart ramming in her chest.

"Well, you're leaving for college in the fall so I figured we'd rent until then, and then I'd…I don't know…"

Satine knew what her mother meant before she said it. It had been obvious for a few months she was cheating on Satine's father but now it just seemed to be too real.

"You're moving in with him, aren't you?" Satine said softly, trying to control the tremble in her voice. "You…you've had it planned."

"Not for long," her mother looked up and met Satine's gaze. "He asked me a month ago and your father and I were already filing divorce papers."

"DIVORCE?" Satine shrieked. "When were you planning on telling me this?"

"Wasn't it obvious?" screeched her mother.

"What? That you're abandoning me to live with your boyfriend?" Satine shouted, not caring that the door was half-open. "That you're spending all of Dad's money so when you leave him he's completely broke?"

"Your father has done nothing for me!"

"He's done everything!" Satine shouted, tears falling from her eyes. "He took care of you, he helped you get your job back and paid for your rehab! Mom, all you ever wanted to do was leave him because you knew the divorce would get you half his money!"

"That's not true!" she screamed, standing up. Her red robe was untied, her dressing gown underneath. "I loved him!"

"Right! Just like you loved me!" Satine burst, turning and grabbing her purse.

"I have nothing! If I don't marry Robert…"

"Marry?" Satine spun so fast she knocked into her mother. "Marry him? So that's why. It's the money, you're marrying this guy for the money."

"It's for us, darling…"

"It's for you! It's always been for you! I've hated you for it and I hate you now!" yanking open the door, Satine stepped out into the hall and looked back at her mother standing in the doorway, swaying slightly.

"Go have another drink," Satine whispered, before hurrying down the hall and out of sight.

Kate awoke later in the evening and left Jack sleeping on the top bunk. She crawled out of the bottom one quickly and hurried out of the hatch and into the darkening jungle.

"Sawyer!" Kate hissed as she reached the beach and headed towards his tent.

There was no movement and she jumped when she saw him hurrying out of the jungle.

"Did you get it?" he whispered, taking her arm and pulling her inside his tent as several people hurried by.

"Yeah," she said, dropping to her knees and opening her bag. "But Sawyer, listen…"

"What, freckles?" he said softly.

"If anything goes wrong, if someone gets hurt, we have to drop them and run," she said quietly, looking down. "I made Jack a promise and I want to get back to the hatch before he can know I left."

"Very well then," Sawyer gave her a grin. "Let's see it."

Slowly, Kate reached in her bag and pulled out the long wrapped twine and the compressed gunpowder that had been hidden in one of the compartments of the armory. She laid it out before Sawyer who measured the length of the ignition cord and tried to measure the gunpowder.

"There's enough," he looked at her and smiled.

Kate nodded, hoping she was doing the right thing.

"Bring her out!"

Someone lifted Satine harshly from her place on the ground and she couldn't struggle, just letting them drag her from the tent. She could barely walk, her legs wobbling and feeling as though they had nothing in them. When they pulled her outside Satine took in a painful gasp of air when she saw what had to be over sixty people standing around the large bonfire, all armed with either arrows or a gun. They stood staring at her as though waiting for her.

The bearded man approached her and seized her arm, dragging her forward.

"I want you to look upon my army and then tell me how you would like your friends to die," he whispered in her ear as she stared around wide-eyed, tears suddenly falling from her face.

She didn't say a word and he bound her hands together behind her back. Very slowly they seemed to form ranks.

"We will reach them by morning!" shouted the bearded man to the others as he held the rope connected to Satine's bounds. "Off!"

Someone at the head of the group began sounding a march. These makeshift soldiers consisting of battered men and tough looking women all wearing rags and with filthy faces and bloodshot eyes went past her without glancing aside. They had been well trained and taught, and Satine tried not to think about the people they might have once been before coming to this island.

When the ranks had receded, the bearded man took Satine roughly and pushed her forward. As she walked, half conscious and only half living, she could see Sawyers face before her eyes and was heartened.


	23. Chapter 23: Promises Broken

Satine knew they were walking but she had no idea in what direction or even for how long they'd been walking. The bearded man kept a tight hold on her but as they walked he eventually untied her because he got tired of having to pick her up everytime she fell and there was no risk of her running especially in her condition, and because of the many people around them.

She walked alone amidst the many people, drifting in and out of the ranks that were more like messy lines now. She felt so sick, so incredibly tired that she knew eventually she would fall and not get back up. She wondered if they'd let her suffer and die or if they'd finish the job.

In her mind she knew it was impossible to reach them, to tell them that they were on their way. But she tried anyway, concentrating as hard as she could, thinking about Sawyer and trying to send him the message, the images around her and everything that had happened. After several minutes of concentration she became too weary to think anymore.

After what seemed like forever, they were ordered to take a five-minute break. People dropped to the forest floor immediately, some reaching for water and others just closing their eyes for rest. It was obvious that no one was going to oppose anything that was going on here.

Satine let herself down carefully a bit away from one of the ranks. Around her were several older men looking near death, and a little black boy.

"Hey," Satine gasped hoarsely, moving over towards him. "Are you Walt?"

The boy looked up at her with wide eyes. He had on a Nike shirt and sneakers and very dirty and worn jean shorts. It was a great contrast to the rags the rest of these people wore.

"Yes," said Walt quietly, looking around worriedly. "Who are you?"

"I know your Dad. I was on that side of the island," she whispered softly, dizziness striking her but she tried to wave it away. She bent low to him. "He's okay."

"No, he's dead," Walt said firmly, his face and hands very dirty. He looked extremely tired and terrified. "I saw them blow up his raft."

"Well, I saw him less than a week ago. He was fine," she said, looking around as people continued to rest. No one had noticed them talking.

Walt's eyes welled with tears and she put a hand on his skinny arm. He looked so scared and so innocent, and knowing what Michael had gone through trying to find him was killing her. If she did anything, it would be getting Walt back to Michael.

"Everybody up!" shouted a voice from the head of the group.

"Stay with me," Satine hissed to Walt as they began walking again.

He moved closer to her, putting his hand in hers.

"Are you sure they won't be able to get in?" Claire was asking as she held a crying Aaron outside the door to the hatch. They had begun to move the women and injured into the shelter and wanted it done before dawn.

"We couldn't get in it without dynamite. I doubt they'll be carrying a bunch of explosives," Jack assured her, leading her inside.

"They're definitely coming?" asked Bernard worriedly. "No doubt about it?"

"We have no doubts," Jack said firmly. "Now, if everyone can please get inside and make yourselves comfortable."

It wasn't that tight of a fit. Everyone had somewhere to sit at least, and Claire was able to get Aaron to sleep on one of the bunk beds. Locke, Sayid, Kate, and Jack had spent much of the night moving things inside. All of Jack's makeshift medical equipment was moved into the small kitchen. Enough bandages had been made out of torn shirts and bottled water was piled into one of the coolers. As the women got settled, Jack and Locke exchanged a look side by side by the door.

"Will it hold?" Jack asked Locke quietly as they left.

"Only if they aren't carrying a bunch of explosives," John said quietly.

"Has anyone seen Sawyer?" asked Kate, hurrying up to them outside the door.

"No," Jack began, looking worried.

"No need to cry, kiddies!" Sawyer came tromping out of the jungle, his hands filthy. "I'm right here."

"What were you doing?" demanded Jack, seeing Sawyer's filthy hands and sweaty face.

"Burying my stuff for safe keeping," Sawyer replied, stopping in front of Jack. "I don't want any of the ladies going through my possessions while we're off to war."

"This is not a war," said Sayid as he came out the door. "We are defending our shelter, nothing more."

"Whatever you say, Muhammed," Sawyer nodded, looking at Kate who was giving him a look. "Well, where's our army?"

"They're getting ready back at the beach," Jack said, looking around.

"Well, I'm not going to be the one to skip out there…"

Sawyer suddenly stopped talking, dropping the makeshift shovel he'd been holding, both hands flying to his head.

"Sawyer?" Kate said worriedly.

"Ugh!" Sawyer grunted as a shooting pain ran through his head. It was like someone screaming directly into his ear, someone shouting so loud it was going to burst his eardrums. "SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"

"Who is he talking to?" John asked.

"Arrggh!" Sawyer stumbled, his hands gripping his head, his face twisted gruesomely. The pain was bad, so bad he felt near passing out. But there were words in there, he could hear them through the ravaging agony.

Suddenly it stopped and Sawyer fell to his knees before them, his hands still on his head but he had begun to breathe again.

"Can you hear me?" Jack asked worriedly, bending beside him. "Sawyer?"

"Yes!" snapped Sawyer, getting to his feet. "I'm fine."

"No you're not. What was that?" Kate said very softly.

"They're coming. They're about half a day away," Sawyer said suddenly, looking out at the dark trees. The sun was almost set. "And they have over sixty people."

"What?" John was looking confused.

"That…I don't know…it was a warning," Sawyer sighed and put a hand to his head. It no longer hurt but his brain felt like it had been ravaged. "The kid…she…was screaming in my ear."

They all stared at him and Sawyer rolled his eyes.

"Forget it," he waved his hand at them and picked up his shovel.

"Maybe he wasn't kidding," Kate suggested as she and Jack walked through the jungle towards the beach, each holding a torch. They were on their way to talk to the people who were going to fight. "Maybe she really did talk to him."

"You're telling me she really is a psychic?" Jack said, letting out a small laugh. "Right."

"Why did they need her so badly, then?" demanded Kate, frustrated at Jack's narrow mind. "She was able to know things about us without us telling her."

"Well now she's on the other side, so it doesn't matter," he decided, not looking at her. "We just have to focus on this."

"Well maybe _this _should be a rescue mission rather than a defense tactic!" she burst angrily.

Jack spun to face her and she stopped short, his torch illuminating his stony face.

"We agreed it wasn't," he spat bitterly at her. "We agreed…"

"No one agreed anything," she hissed, pushing past him.

"You said you'd stay!"

"Did I ever say I wasn't going to?" she shouted over her shoulder, walking angrily ahead of him.

"Well then what are you…"

"Just shut up."

She was mad that he didn't believe her or Sawyer, and she was mad that she was lying to him. But she was lying for his safety because if Jack knew what Kate and Sawyer were planning, he might actually give up the shelter just to save her.

When they reached the beach, they saw everyone standing around a large fire looking nervous. Kate felt slightly downcast at the fact that this was their army.

"So?" said Ana-Lucia, marching up to Jack looking very official. "I've talked to them all I can. All they care about is when they're getting their guns."

"It's going to turn into a shooting fest," Kate whispered sadly, looking over Ana's shoulder at the miserable company.

"Well, Locke said he trained them well. He said half of them had handled guns before, and the other half don't even know what one looks like. He let each of them shoot a bullet but they had to preserve. And each gun will only be loaded to it's max and then that's it. They were told that after their weapon runs out, to turn tail and run."

"He told them to run?" Jack asked, his eyes wide.

"Well what are they going to do, yell curses at them? Half these guys are dads and grandparents. They don't know what the others are…"

"Excuse me," said a voice behind them. Turning they saw Charlie walking up to them. Kate noticed his hands were shaking. "Um, a few of the guys are talking about leaving to stay with the women."

"What?" Ana said angrily. "Who?"

"No," Jack grabbed her shoulder to keep her from turning to face the group. Kate felt a strange surge inside of her but it faded when he removed his hand. "Let me talk to them."

Kate watched as Jack walked forward toward the group. The ones that had been sitting by the fire stood and watched him nervously as he stood before them.

"What we're going to do when the sun comes up is not something I think any of us should do," he said loudly so they all could hear him. Kate saw the fire reflecting in his deep eyes and felt some weird pinch of pride inside of her. "But it's something we need to do in order to survive. We crashed here and thought it would only be a matter of hours before we were rescued. We were wrong, and now this is our home until that eventually happens. Any of us would defend our homes back where we came from. Now we have to defend the place we call home here."

Jack looked around at them and tried to find hope in their eyes but saw only fear.

"In you I see the same fear in me. We don't know these people. We know they're not sympathetic or merciful. We've seen their work before. But we shouldn't let that discourage us. We will all be armed with weapons, but even those weapons can't protect us from the fear. Many people have already died on this island. We've lost people to lesser things, and even then we've all shown courage. Just the fact that you are standing here before me shows me the courage you all hold. And if you have one of your loved ones in that hatch, you will find an even greater need to protect your homestead."

"When you face the others, don't see horror in them. See something that must be stopped. We've lived in mostly peace ever since we crashed here and we need to keep that peace in order to survive. This is our chance at peace."

Jack didn't expect it and neither did Kate, but when they burst into applause they couldn't help but feel like something had been accomplished here. Kate even saw Ana-Lucia clapping, looking slightly heartened. All the men seemed to have new color in their faces, and new hope in their hearts. Jack went around and shook their hands before returning to Kate, looking grim.

"Get the guns," he whispered.

As Satine walked with Walt by her side, she tried to make sense of it all. She thought she remembered Locke saying something about Walt being with the other people.

"Are these the people that took you?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," he responded in a low voice, sounding almost hollow.

"But they said there are others on the far beach. Are there?" she asked.

"They all died," he whispered, looking around nervously at the blank faces. "These people killed almost all of them and took the rest."

"Then what are they talking about needing it for the war?" she urgently asked.

"They're crazy. They killed them all but still think there is some left. But there aren't."

"Were…were you there when they did that?" she asked.

He slowly nodded and then raised his head, blinking his eyes a few times. She felt terrible for him and was even trying to put aside the agony in her own body to make sure Walt was okay. She felt increasingly dizzier especially with the heat. She had only been offered water once and had gotten no food. The infection in her side made her fever rise and fall randomly, sometimes getting so high she began to hallucinate. At one point she was convinced Jack and Kate were walking behind her and Michael and Locke in front of her. Only after she'd collided with them accidentally did she realize it wasn't real.

Finally, Satine realized she recognized this place. Walt seemingly did too because he was looking around with wide eyes.

"This is near the path to the beach," he whispered to Satine.

"I know. The hatch isn't far," she responded, gripping his hand tighter.

The ranks became tighter and Satine and Walt were pushed farther to the front. The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon and was sending long rays of gold through the trees, lighting up the jungle. For a short while Satine looked at these with a lightened heart. It was something beautiful and for a moment there was nothing else.

She grew weaker as they walked on and eventually Walt was helping her walk. She knew it wouldn't be much longer until they found them and the battle began. She only hoped she'd have enough strength to drag Walt out of the way of it.

As the sun began to rise, so did the anxiety among everyone. They were just about done getting everything into the hatch that they wanted to keep safe. The women who had been down there now for almost the entire night were agitated and terrified. The people who were going to fight kept going down there to speak to loved ones. Finally, Jack decided it was time to close the doors.

Kate and Sawyer had been helping Sayid gather some plants and tree limbs to hide the hatch door. They knew that it would probably be found but it wouldn't hurt to keep it out of sight. As Kate came hurrying up to the pile Sayid had made, Jack approached her.

"We're closing the doors," he said quietly to her as Sawyer dumped the last big armful and Sayid began tying some of them together. "You need to get inside."

Kate wasn't going to object, but she also didn't feel right getting inside and locking the door. What was she going to do, sit there and listen to the fight outside? She looked into Jack's eyes and saw him silently pleading with her not to say no.

"Okay, let me just help Sayid…"

"No time," he held onto Kate's arm so tightly she was almost frightened. "I didn't want to tell anyone but I saw them coming. They're only a few hours away."

"I guess that little cliff of yours came in handy," she said, giving him a small smile.

Slowly he walked with her in the door. Sayid began piling the leaves so when they shut the door they could cover it. For a moment Jack and Kate were alone in the hall.

"Be careful," she said, her throat suddenly tight. "I'll be waiting for you."

"I'll come back to you," he said, looking hard at her. "I promise."

"Jack, you need to stop promising," she said gently.

"This time for real. I promise you that when you finally open that door I'll be the first one inside," he was holding her arm, his face close to hers. "Okay?"

She nodded and couldn't stop looking at him. Finally he let go of her arm and gave her a short hug before heading out the door. Not exactly the goodbye she expected but, she decided it was enough.

Sawyer came to the door to begin preparing to lock it. Kate looked at him for a moment before he leaned inside.

"Exactly ten," he said gently to her before passing her a gun underneath a towel he'd been using. "I'll wait."

She nodded and felt her heart hammering as slowly the large, heavy door swung shut and she turned the large wheel, listening as the bolts shut and locked tight. Only rustling of leaves and branches was heard as they piled them against the door. She stared hard at the cold medal for a few moments before walking away.


	24. Chapter 24:Plan Failed

"You will keep the safeties on until we say to take them off," Jack was saying very firmly as he slowly went down the row of men and handed each a gun. "You do not point it at anyone, you keep it facing the ground until we reach…"

"The battlefront?"

Jack looked up and saw Ana-Lucia was next in line. He hadn't bothered to tell her to go in with the women, knowing she wouldn't even think of it. He paused when he went to hand her the gun.

"It's okay, doc," she said quietly, although he saw the hurt in her eyes. "I still was a cop."

He gave her a forced smile and handed it to her. She expertly put the safety on and off and then back on and stowed it in her jeans. Finally Jack handed Locke a gun and Sayid a rifle. They had four guns left.

"We're missing one," Jack looked down at the bag.

"It's possible one fell out," Sayid said. "The bag is ripped."

Jack nodded, but still felt uneasy. He looked out at the line of men. They were looking at the guns in their hands with apprehension.

"One little shooting lesson doesn't make soldiers," John said quietly. He winced a bit as he coughed. He was still very weak but would have it no other way than go out there with them.

"Who's to say it doesn't?" asked Sayid.

No one said anything. Jack continued to look out at them and his mind was set at ease knowing that no matter what, Kate was safe in that shelter.

As he thought this, Kate was quietly creeping away from the rest of the women who were in a tight group chattering away nervously. She carefully slid down the hallway and to the door. She had just gotten her hands on the wheel when she heard a voice.

"I knew you wouldn't stay."

Turning she saw Claire, who looked weird without the bundle of Aaron in her arms. He was asleep in the bunk bed.

"I have to," Kate whispered to her, glancing down the hall worriedly. "I can't just let Satine die."

"I know," Claire nodded, smiling. "Just be careful, okay?"

Kate smiled at her and Claire returned it. Turning the handle hard, Kate forced the door open and slid out, shutting it again. Claire locked it and headed back to the other women.

Slowly Kate hurried through the jungle towards where Sawyer swore he'd be. Halfway to the tiny path she froze.

Only ten feet to her left was what looked like an entire village of people marching towards the beach. She didn't dare move, watching as people dressed in rags slouched by, not many looking very tough. She watched them go and tried to count but lost count at the third rank. As they twisted through the jungle, Kate felt her stomach drop.

Satine walked almost at the head of the column and close to her side was Walt. Kate's eyes bugged out of her head as she viewed the boy who only looked skinnier but no different. In her mind she tried to imagine Michael, who even though he was still injured, would stand on the battle line and see his son on the opposite side. She had to warn them.

But there was no time. They were moving out and Kate had a chance to run towards where she was meeting Sawyer. So taking a deep breath she plunged through the jungle and over the path, back into the dense trees. She finally came out on the smaller path where Sawyer stood, looking pale.

"You saw them?" she asked him breathlessly. He just nodded, looking numb. "Do you have it?"

He held out a matchbook and some twine. They exchanged a look.

"We need to follow them," Kate whispered.

"Shouldn't we go tell Jack and the others that they're on their way?" Sawyer suggested. For the first time, he looked scared.

"No time. They're ready. But we have to do this before any fighting begins. We don't want to hurt anyone," Kate said, grabbing Sawyer's arm. "Come on."

They dashed through the jungle, jumping over logs and running in the direction that the people had been heading. In her mind Kate imagined a perfect rescue. They'd grab Satine, and possibly Walt, and run just in time.

As they neared, they could hear voices and the fear took hold of Kate. For a moment she almost felt panicked but then remembered something Jack had said. He had said never to let the fear take hold. So carefully, in her mind she counted to five.

One.

"Stop," Sawyer put out an arm. The people had stopped moving. Kate and Sawyer were standing only one hundred yards from the front of the first rank. A bearded man with filthy clothes was pushing Satine and Walt to the front. Looking over, Kate saw the Oceanic Flight survivors marching towards them and stopping thirty feet away.

Two.

"Oh my god," Kate whispered. "Satine and Walt are standing right on it."

Sawyer's eyes filled with fear. He could see Satine, see how sick and pale she looked. Through her ragged shirt he could see the terrible wound on her side badly stitched. He felt sick thinking about how much that had to hurt. She was clutching Walt's hand as he had once clutched hers to pull her out of the pit. He had a flash of her laughing and then it was back to reality, back to her firm face with tears rolling down the cheeks.

Slowly Kate held his arm as they crept through the jungle, going around so they were standing parallel from where Jack stood at the head of the survivors. He looked like a hero, his white shirt dirty, a gun in his hand facing the ground. Someone gave a signal and the survivors took their safeties. Kate suddenly realized how stupid they were to be creeping around near this.

Three.

"We can do this," Sawyer told Kate quietly.

Four.

"No," Kate whispered, gripping Sawyer's arm with claw like intensity. "No, we can't. We'll all be killed. We have to tell Jack."

"No time! They're about to shoot each other!" Sawyer hissed in her ear. Suddenly she realized if they set this off, Jack could be injured. Her hands began to tremble and Sawyer noticed.

"No. You can't panic. We have to do this. Kate!" Sawyer was holding her by both arms, his face close to hers as to not be heard. There was still silence from the two fronts facing each other.

A gunshot fired.

Five.

"You probably know my mom," Satine said, her words slurred. She sat at the magnificent bar with two handsome men on each side of her who kept buying her drinks and complimenting her. "She owns Oceanic airlines."

"Really?" said the one on her left, pushing over another daiquiri.

"Well, she did," Satine looked downcast but only for a moment. Her red eyes looked tired. "She was fired a few months ago for screwing an employee in the back of a plane."

The two men on either side roared with laughter. At one time Satine would have been appalled to have even said such a thing. But right now, after everything her mother had done to her tonight, she didn't care.

"Yeah. It was a new plane. I guess they were christening it," she laughed and hiccuped. "Well, I don't really want to pass out here so I think I'll head back to my room."

"I'll help you," said the man on her right, taking her arm.

"Now now!" she said as he helped her off the stool. She swaggered and almost fell into a waiter. "Hey, I'm a respectable girl."

"Then I'll lead you to your floor. You can find your way from there, how's that?" he asked. His friend had gotten up too and was following them. Satine stumbled across the dining room, knocking into empty chairs. Several people gave disgusted looks as the man held her arm, leading her out into the lobby.

"You know, we were so rich," she said as they waited for the elevator. She was slumped against the wall. "We were loaded!"

"What do you mean were?" the man sounded suddenly stern.

"I told you! My mom lost her job!" she snapped at him, waving her hand. "You forgot."

"You told me this chick was loaded," said the man to his friend as they stepped into the empty elevator with her.

"Well, they'll finish the job anyway," sighed the one on her left.

"Job? Okay, I am not that kind of girl," she slurred, leaning on the one man.

"Get off," he snapped, pushing her. She stumbled and fell and looked up confusedly. Her head was very disoriented.

"I don't feel drunk I feel sick," she said softly, suddenly feeling very nauseous.

"If she pukes I swear to God…"

"Yo man, we should go get the thing ready," said one of them to the other. "So that they can do it quick."

"Good idea."

The door opened and they lifted Satine to her feet and pushed her out into the hall. She turned around and looked at them confusedly as the doors closed and then she searched in her bag for her room key.

Walt's hand was so tight on hers that Satine had to keep wiggling her fingers. The dizziness washed over her like continuous pulses. She was in so much pain that her eyes kept tearing, her throat tight. Suddenly she realized this was it.

Slowly the ranks began to stop and someone was behind her pushing her forward. Walt went too, and carefully they were made to walk through the many people and out to the front. They now stood with their backs to the sixty or so people they'd been traveling with.

Satine's eyes traveled and she suddenly saw Jack striding towards her. He's come to save me, she thought happily. She was delirious and she knew it but she couldn't help but wish he really had. When he stopped and held out his gun, she knew that wasn't going to happen.

The rest of the male survivors stood beside him on either side in a long line only two deep. Satine knew they'd all be dead before nightfall especially up against this group of savages.

Scanning the line she didn't see Sawyer. Was it possible he was injured, or even dead? Please no, she thought sadly and more tears fell down her face. She heard many clicks and saw the others adjusting their guns. Behind her she could feel them moving their arrows to their bows and the few that had guns were loading them. Several were beating large weapons against their hands.

Suddenly she felt Walt give a jerk and she looked over. His eyes were wide and bulging and she followed his gaze.

Michael came slowly from behind Jack. He stopped beside Jack and then tried to go forward but Jack stopped him. Michael tried to struggle but Jack and several others were holding him back, not looking at the opposite group,

"Dad," Walt let out the tiniest whisper that only Satine heard. Satine gripped Walt's hand tightly.

The tension in the air could be cut like a knife as these two groups of people, both striving to survive on this horrible island stood opposite each other, fighting for something only one could have.

"Please," Kate was begging Sawyer as he prepared to do it. "Don't. Please."

"Kate. You agreed to this," he snapped at her, his hands shaking as he found the fuse in the grass and pulled it up. "You know what to do."

"What if they shoot you before you can get there?" she bitterly snapped at him. He looked up at her.

"It's a risk I can take."

Slowly, Sawyer lit the match. As soon as it hit the fuse and a spark flew, he was on his feet. He ran so fast that he outran the fuse by a few feet. Kate was on his heels.

Just then a shot was fired. Someone had shot their gun into the air on the survivor's side. Michael had taken his chance at distracting everyone and bolted across towards Walt.

Kate saw this before Sawyer did and knew Sawyer wasn't going to stop from grabbing Satine before the fuse hit. Kate knew what she had to do as she propelled herself to the right of Sawyer and flew so fast at Michael she was sure both would be hurt.

As if in slow motion, Sawyer came free of the trees and was right smack in the middle of these two armies. Neither had moved both out of shock of the gunshot and Michael's sudden movement. But Kate and Sawyer's sudden movement from the trees had alerted everyone and guns were pointed straight at them and then lowered when realizing who they were. But not all were lowered and shots were fired.

Kate could see Sawyer heading towards Satine but only saw Michael as she left the ground for a moment or two as she collided with Michael and they both flew off to the side.

Sawyer could see Satine's eyes widen and then saw the fuse only a few feet from him. Using force he never knew he had, he seized both Satine and Walt by whatever he could reach. For Satine it was her thin wrist but for Walt it was the back of his shirt. He then tightened his grip on both and flung both of them as hard as he could forward ahead of him into the cover of the bushes off the path.

The explosion went off just as Sawyer had let go of the back of Walt's shirt and just as Kate had gotten Michael out of the space between the two armies. The last things Kate saw before the air filled with fire was the terror and complete shock on Jack's face as his eyes went to the fuse running on the ground. He had not seen Kate.

The air seemed to set on fire as the ground beneath rumbled and the explosion came sharp and fast. Sawyer felt the force of it knock him forward as he flew after Satine and Walt. He collided painfully with several trees as the fire singed his back and sent him even further into the jungle.

Earth, wood, and man went up into the air and Sawyer covered his eyes as he saw people actually blasting apart. The fireball was so big it burned the tops of the trees and pieces of wood and dirt were flying everywhere. The ball of flame reached over the trees and licked the bright blue sky before leaving behind a giant cloud of black smoke and falling particles.

All was silent as bits of dirt and trees fell hard to the ground, still flaming. A huge gap now stood in the jungle right where the explosion had gone off. Sawyer had dug it deep enough that the ground was now split open revealing a smoking pit of mud and dirt. Only when the first body hit the ground did anyone start screaming.


	25. Chapter 25: Parallel

Sawyer closed the door in the dark to his tiny, cramped and dirty apartment and slouched to the nearest chair, collapsing into it. He jumped up when he felt something hard crack beneath him.

The room was still dark so he reached over and felt for the light switch. Turning on the light his jaw dropped.

Everything in his apartment had been destroyed, everything had been completely trashed and broken. The one sofa he had was torn to shreds, foam everywhere. His television was smashed to pieces and the mirror above his single dresser lay in shards on the floor. His bed, his only bed, was torn and the blankets shredded. All the pillows had been ripped apart with feathers everywhere. Both windows were open and the room felt below thirty.

Slowly, Sawyer stepped over the trashed remnants of his kitchen. He'd only moved into this apartment a month ago and now it was gone.

He spotted the black permanent marker on the wall reflected in what was left of the mirror. Carefully he turned.

"You ruined my life, so I thought I'd ruin yours."

Lying on the floor below this message was the dead landlord.

Sawyer looked around and he could hear things hitting the ground in loud thumps all around him in the jungle. He could hear screaming, and people shouting but it was all blurry. Fire was everywhere, burning in small clumps. The fire nearest him was tall, climbing a nearby tree and licking at the branches around it.

Turning over, Sawyer groaned at the pain in his leg and side. He'd hit the ground hard and hit several trees as he landed. Looking around, he suddenly remembered.

"Satine?" he scanned all around him. "Walt?"

Where were they? He could have sworn he'd thrown them as hard as he could directly ahead of him. They had to be nearby, he hadn't gone much farther.

He moaned as he got to his feet, leaning heavily against a tree. Looking down he saw what looked like a shard of metal sticking out of his outer thigh. He tried not to think about the fact that it was the same leg he'd been shot in as he wrenched it out.

Grinding his teeth so hard he saw stars, Sawyer opened his eyes wide to look around.

Trees were on fire around him and there were people running a distance from him. The grass was tall here and the brush thick. He went from tree to tree, leaning on them, scanning the ground for any signs of Satine.

"Walt!" someone screamed behind him.

Turning, Sawyer saw Michael racing towards him. For a moment Sawyer expected Michael to grab Sawyer and demand for his son. But Michael dropped to his knees a few yards away, picking up an unconscious Walt from the ground.

Sawyer limped as fast as he could towards Michael who was crying.

"Walt! Walt!" Michael kept repeating, clutching his limp son to his chest. "Please! Please!"

"Is he?" Sawyer got painfully to his knees and took hold of one of Walt's wrists. For a moment he didn't move and then he looked slowly up at Michael.

"Jack? Jack?"

Snapping awake, Jack felt the pain before he saw Charlie kneeling over him, his face bloody and covered in dirt.

"You're alive!" Charlie said, sounding relieved. He pulled Jack up to a sitting position.

"Charlie what…" Jack said quietly, feeling confused. He'd hit his head on something, although he didn't think it had been bad. Looking around he saw fire and got quickly to his feet, too quickly. He stumbled slightly.

"A bomb! Or…something! All I saw was Sawyer and…"

"Oh my god," Jack had stepped forward back out into the small opening where just moments before the two groups had been standing facing each other. Now it was scattered with large chunks of trees and bits of the ground. A huge gaping hole sat smoking in the middle were several large chunks of metal sat. The trees around it were burning and the sun was blocked out by the enormous amounts of smoke rising. And all around people were screaming, as they lay injured, hurt and terrified. People from both sides of the island although now they weren't distinguishable through the dirt and flames.

"Charlie, I need you to run back to the hatch and grab all the medical supplies you can. Bring all the women. We're going to need as much help as we can get," Jack said urgently, looking hard at Charlie. "And get Kate."

"But Jack…"

"JUST GO!" Jack ordered.

Charlie nodded and ran off. Around him, Jack saw several people struggling to stand. He saw Hurley walking through the trees looking confused, a large gash on his forehead.

"Hurley!" Jack sprinted over to him. "Are you okay? Say something."

"Dude…what happened?" asked Hurley, looking worriedly at Jack. "Something exploded."

"I need you to help me find people. They're going to be covered in brush and stuff. Come on!"

As Jack made rounds, Sawyer had begun looking for Satine again. He scanned the ground and walked around the fires. His heart was pounding in his throat and his leg bleeding painfully. He had reached the clearing where the initial explosion had gone off and he saw Jack racing across towards the opposite tree with Hurley behind him. Sawyer looked around and tried not to look at the remnants of the other group.

"Satine!" he shouted, his breath coming in short gasps. He was so scared, so completely terrified he didn't know how to handle it. He felt almost dizzy as he remained on the side he'd been searching and scanned the trees. He'd only walked a few feet away from the large hole in the ground when he saw her.

She lay motionless in the grass, a large piece of timber lying across her legs. Sawyer had never moved so fast as he sprinted, the pain in his leg turning into adrenaline as he fell to the ground beside her and lifted the timber away.

Pale and sickly, she didn't look alive. Could it have possibly killed her, he wondered? His heart seemed to pound so hard it hurt as he felt her arms and put an ear to her chest. She wasn't breathing.

Jack had finished tying a piece of his shirt around a wounded man's leg and was working on stopping the bleeding from one of the other's arms when he heard Hurley shout.

"JACK! Oh my god! Jack!"

Turning, Jack couldn't see what Hurley was pointing at. Then he saw.

Kate lay motionless on the ground just off the path, her face in clear view in a small ray of sun coming through the smoke and canopy. As Jack slowly rose, the entire world collapsing around him, he felt his heart shatter.

"She was supposed to stay," he muttered to Hurley as he dropped down beside her and looked her over. A large bullet wound was on her hip, seeming to have gone right through, the blood flowing out onto the dirt.

"Where's Charlie? I need my bag," Jack said desperately to Hurley, who was wiping his eyes. "HURLEY! FIND CHARLIE!"

Nodding and slightly scared, Hurley took off. Jack looked back at Kate and tried to wake her.

"Come on, Kate. Please. Just say something for me, tell me you're okay," he pleaded with her. He could see a large bruise forming on her head. She didn't move, her face pale yet beautiful. He couldn't stop looking at it as he held his hands over the wound, blood flowing through his fingers. He tried to keep control, trying so hard to concentrate on just stopping the bleeding but he felt his throat tighten. Jack didn't bother hiding that he was crying as he held the wound shut, praying with all his dear life that she would survive.

"Dude!" Hurley was hurtling through the jungle, Charlie on his heels clutching the leather bag. "Here!"

Jack ripped it from Charlie's hands and pulled out the gauze and peroxide. He worked as hard as he could.

"Put your hand here," Jack ordered Charlie, seizing his hand and pressing it hard on the exit wound. "Do not move it. Hurley, you hold this one."

"Where are you going?" Charlie asked worriedly, blood soaking through the gauze quickly.

"I need to find help," he said, running.

Sawyer was never a lifeguard and he was never a doctor. He had only once saved a baby chick from dying when it had fallen from its nest. He had found it a week later chewed up by a fox. He had never been the life saver Jack was, and he knew it.

But as he performed CPR on Satine, he knew that watching Jack and listening as he had worked would benefit him now and in the future. He remembered seeing Jack perform it on several people, one woman after she'd drowned and had seen it on several television shows also. But as he did it now, it was different. It wasn't heroic and manly, blowing breaths into a fragile, sick body. It was painful, horrifying and completely sickening. He couldn't look at her face as he did it, preferring to close his eyes. His heart hurt so badly he wanted it to stop. He knew she was probably gone yet he didn't stop.

After ten minutes Sawyer felt dizzy from blowing the air, and his arms ached and his leg throbbed. Around him people were wandering aimlessly, and even when he shouted out to them to get Jack, no one listened. Finally, after several moments, Sawyer stopped.

Looking down at her, he knew it was over. He could see the horribly infected wound on her side and could see the terribly painful twine that had been sewn into it. He looked at her face and knew he knew it, he'd seen it before. She had trashed his apartment and killed his landlord. She had been the little girl in the back of the car, the person who had haunted his dreams. Sawyer was the reason this girl's life was so messed up.

Putting his head down, he covered it with his hands. And for the first time since the night his parents died, Sawyer cried.

"Sometimes things happen for a reason," said the pastor quietly to Sawyer as he sat in the holding room of the police station. The priest was used as a kind of guilt-ridder, so those convicts didn't go into jail to kill themselves. "And perhaps this will help you in the future."

"Yeah, okay," Sawyer snapped. "I've already said I didn't do it. I don't have any sins to admit!"

"You did not kill Mr. Harrison?" asked the priest quietly, sitting across the table from Sawyer. In the harsh light the priest looked ancient and Sawyer was getting a headache.

"No," growled Sawyer.

"Who did?"

Not answering Sawyer looked away.

"I'll tell ya who," Sawyer looked hard at the priest. "But you ain't gonna find her."

"Perhaps she is not meant to be found. Maybe you are doing her penance to save her life. You would be a hero," the priest offered kindly.

"I never asked to be a hero! I don't want to be one," he snapped. "I ruined her life…she's just getting back at me."

"How did you ruin her life?"

"I was friends with another guy named James. But I had a hitman after me but the guys after me ended up killing the wrong James," Sawyer looked down. "They killed the guy and after that his family was robbed of all their money by the same guys who had killed him, to clean up the job and make it look like it was the right one. This…girl got stuck with a poor mother who was James's sister, and…it just messed up her life."

"So you are saying if this James had lived, this girl you speak of would have a better life?" asked the priest gently. Sawyer's temples were throbbing and he wished this was over.

"Yes," Sawyer nodded. "Then her mother wouldn't have had to marry such an asshole and get herself all broke."

"And you've been keeping tabs on this girl?" the old man looked hard at Sawyer. "You know what she looks like?"

"No. I haven't seen her since she was five but I've heard about what happened to her folks. People who were rich and suddenly go broke don't just drop off the map. People keep tabs on them to make sure they don't come into new cash. Basically she lived with her mom who married twice and the second time she got lucky and struck it rich but spent it all on herself. Now they're piss poor and going through a divorce…" Sawyer suddenly realized he sounded like he cared. "But it's just my job to keep track of people like that. I don't really care."

"It seems, Mr. Ford, you do care," the pastor nodded, sighing deeply. "If you did not care you would not be telling me all about this girl's life. You would not be telling me how you ruined her life. It would be the last thing on your mind."

"She set me up for murder! I can care about that!" Sawyer shouted angrily.

"You care more about this girl and about the circumstances you've created for her, than the fact you are being tried for murder," the priest stood and nodded at Sawyer. "I will be sure to testify for you."

"Don't bother."

The priest looked back surprisingly on his way to the door. Sawyer sat with his hands on the table.

"I'd rather go to jail," Sawyer eyed the priest and then looked away, his hands folded tightly.

The priest left the questioning room and came face to face with an officer.

"He did not kill that landlord. If you do proper testing you will see it is true," said the priest firmly. "Let the man go. He is in enough pain."

Jack felt so sick he had to stop several times and retch. He thought he was going to faint as he went from person to person, helping everyone but only caring about Kate. He could see Charlie and Hurley still holding her wounds closed, and all he cared about was finding Locke or Sayid to help him move Kate back to the hatch. Women had begun to arrive and were helping to find people thrown by the blast. Several were using the bandages and others just signaled when they found someone alive.

Sayid appeared at Jack's side as he worked on one of the other's, a young woman with long hair down to her waist. She was filthy and she had a bad burn on her arm and part of her face. Jack did his best to clean them but knew when she finally woke up she would be in agony.

"We need to do something," Sayid said hurriedly to Jack. Sayid looked okay although he was shaking. "People are dead, parts of bodies everywhere. We need to get the injured away from here and the living too. Then we need to put out these fires."

"If you can find enough people, you can start moving everyone to the hatch. Get some people to help clear out the entire living section so we have room to lie everyone down. Tell Ana-Lucia to find me, I need her help," Jack ordered. Sayid didn't say anything and Jack looked up at him. "What?"

"I found Ana-Lucia," Sayid said quietly, looking down. "She's dead."

Closing his eyes for a moment, Jack fought off a wave of sickness and then reopened his eyes.

"We need to get Kate out of here. She'd bleeding badly," Jack stood and started towards where Kate was and stopped when he heard crying.

Turning slowly, he saw Satine lying motionless and pale in the grass. Beside her was Sawyer, his face in his hands. Jack walked over to them and bent beside Satine.

"Sawyer," Jack said gently. "I'm so sorr…"

But Jack stopped talking and Sawyer noticed, raising his head to look at the doctor's shocked face.


	26. Chapter 26: Mercy

(AN: Thanks so much for reviewing you guys! I appreciate all the comments SO much they really keep me going. If you would like an IM update of when I update this story, IM me on AIM at M0b3anz. :)

It was all too much, it was all going too fast. People were running everywhere, trying to move the wounded away from the fire and marking where the dead lay. The fire was dying, and there was thunder overhead. The air was getting heavier and as the jungle crackled and popped around them from the remaining flames, they knew this was something they would never forget.

Sawyer remained sitting where he had been, Satine lying motionless beside him. He wasn't crying, just staring down at her. Jack was on the other side of her, performing more CPR.

"Jack," Sawyer said in a low voice. "Stop."

"She's young. It's the infection, it weakened her heart. I can get it started again," he said, beginning to pound on her chest. Sawyer jumped back.

"Stop," Sawyer pleaded with Jack, seeing her frail body moving with every strike. "Please, Jack. Man, she's gone."

"No," Jack knew Satine was dead, that infection would have taken her anyway if she had survived the explosion. But somehow he connected Satine living with Kate living. If he could get Satine's heart going again, he could save Kate.

Sawyer looked away, unable to watch anymore. He could hear Jack's fist connecting with the girl, and he tried to tune it out. But finally after a few more moments Sawyer turned back around.

"STOP!" Sawyer seized Jack's fist as it came up after a hit.

A great gasp uttered from Satine and she sucked in an enormous amount of air. Jack and Sawyer just stared at her with wide eyes as she began to cough and gag, color returning to her face.

"Jesus Christ, doc," Sawyer said, his jaw hanging open.

"Deep breaths," Jack told Satine gently, lifting her head and sitting her upright. Her eyes were wide as she looked around. "Don't try to move."

Sawyer stood, looking down at her in shock. Then he turned and walked away.

"JACK!" Charlie was shouting from his place beside Kate. "JACK!"

Jack came hurtling through the trees and fell beside them. Their gauze was soaked, and their hands were also. Blood was staining the dirt dark maroon.

"I need to suture these," he said, examining the wounds. "Hand me the peroxide."

Hurley gave it to Jack with trembling hands. He looked sick and very nauseous.

Jack slowly sutured Kate's wounds. When he was done, Hurley had walked away twice to be sick in the jungle. Charlie had remained where he was, handing Jack things when he needed them and just staring with wide eyes all around him.

"This is like hell," Charlie said quietly as Jack finished, covering the wounds with fresh gauze. "This is…"

"It was a mistake," Jack said quietly, putting his things back into his bag. "We're here to survive not to start a war."

"Well there's no one to fight anymore," Hurley replied from beside Charlie. "They're all…gone."

Charlie helped Jack carry Kate back to the shelter. When they arrived, over thirty people were lying in the large area just inside the doors. People were rushing around trying to help them but none were doing much good. People were burned and hurt, had pieces of shrapnel in them and others were cut badly. Jack made sure to lie Kate farther away from all of them in a quieter corner.

Jack had gone to turn around when he almost knocked into Sayid who was carrying Satine in his arms. She was alive but barely conscious.

"She is burning up," he said to Jack, looking down at her. "She needs medicine."

"Charlie," Jack turned to Charlie who looked ready to do anything. "Get me the bag with the medication in it."

Charlie took off as Jack took Satine from Sayid and carried her inside the bedroom, placing her on the bottom bunk. She was shivering and he knew she would become septic if he didn't get some antibiotics into her. The wound on her side looked gruesome and even being a doctor, it made him feel quite sick to think about how much pain she was probably in.

Sawyer was nowhere to be found, which Jack found odd. If Jack remembered correctly, he had found Sawyer actually crying beside Satine whom he'd supposed was dead.

"Do you need help?" Sayid asked nervously from behind Jack as Charlie arrived with the bag.

"I need some wire cutters to cut the twine in her side. I'm going to remove it before she wakes up," Jack said hurriedly, cleaning the wound. Her skin was so badly inflamed and infected the skin had almost swallowed the twine. He suddenly stood. He had to go back to Kate.

Sawyer walked through the wreckage, feeling quite empty. He'd seen Kate, seen her be carried off to the shelter. He knew it was his fault she was like that, and his fault Satine was the way she was. He'd shouted at Satine, sent her running into the jungle. Kate didn't have to help Sawyer with this but had he given her much choice?

Carefully Sawyer stepped over some smoking logs and stopped when he heard someone moan.

Turning he saw a man with a long beard and deep set eyes lying a few feet away underneath a log that looked at least two hundred pounds. The tree had fallen on him and the top of it was on fire, spreading quickly down. But the man was in worst shape than the tree. As Sawyer walked towards him, he saw the man's left leg was gone.

"Help me!" pleaded the bearded man painfully. He looked delirious and weak. Blood was pooled under him. "Ugh! Help me lift this off!"

Sawyer remained where he was just staring down at this man who was looking at him for help. Sawyer had seen this man standing at the head of the column with Satine and Walt in front of him. This was the same man who had held a gun to Kate's head not too long ago in the woods, forcing them to surrender their guns. Sawyer felt a burning hatred inside of him.

"Oohh!"

Sawyer could see the man was dying painfully. Blood poured out of him as the burning log slowly crushed him. It had to be only a few minutes.

"Burn in hell," Sawyer growled in a low voice that was so full of hatred it was almost a curse.

And without looking back, Sawyer walked away.

"Kate?"

She knew someone was talking to her but couldn't figure out where it was coming from. All she remembered was seeing Michael. Why was he the last person she remembered seeing?

"Kate, it's Jack. Can you hear me?"

Jack? He had been standing there but she couldn't remember if he'd seen her or not. She didn't think he had because he had been wrestling with Michael and almost knocked down when Michael pushed past him.

Carefully, Kate tried to open her eyes. They felt heavy and the light was bright. She closed them again and then opened them, letting them focus.

"Hey," said Jack quietly, giving a small smile as her eyes settled on his face. "How are you feeling?"

Kate tried to answer that question but the answer was muffled by her moan of pain. Her entire bottom half of her body felt like it had been crushed.

"You were shot in the pelvis," Jack said quietly to her. She could feel his hand on hers. "You'll be okay but you're going to be in pain. I need to know if you want me to put you out so you sleep through the worst of it?"

She looked at him confusedly. What had happened? Did the plan work? He seemed to understand what she was silently asking and he looked down.

"A lot of people were killed. Ana-Lucia died, Steve, Ernest, and some other of ours. Most of the dead are the others but Satine was hurt as well. We're…we're not sure about Walt. Michael won't bring him here so we don't know how he is," Jack said quietly.

"How is the pain?" Jack asked her.

"Bad," she croaked, her throat dry. But she didn't want to be put out again, she wanted Jack to stay and tell her exactly what had happened. He hadn't said anything about Sawyer, was Sawyer dead? "Sawyer?"

"He's fine. He's not here but I saw him. He's shook up about Satine," Jack looked up at Charlie and Sayid who were standing behind him. "Here, take these."

He made her take two pills that she had no idea what they were for. She obliged without complaint and when she lay back down she felt faint.

"Rest," Jack said softly to her and she saw he was fading. "Just try to rest."

"We'll watch over her," Sayid said quietly to Jack who had looked down and away after Kate had closed her eyes. "But I think you should focus on Satine. The others are okay, we can help them. But she is…"

"I know. I'll…do that. But I think someone should go find Sawyer. And has anyone seen Locke?" Jack asked, standing and slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"He was heading back out to look for more survivors. He didn't look hurt. His head looked kinda bloody," Charlie said confusedly. Only then did Jack see that Charlie's arm was severely black and blue.

"Did you hurt your arm?" Jack asked, touching it. Charlie jumped away.

"I hit it when I flew back. It's okay, mate. Go check on that girl," insisted Charlie. "I…I need to go talk to Claire."

Jack went into the bedroom and shut the door behind him. Satine lay on the bottom bunk of the bunk bed. She hadn't moved since they placed her in there.

Carefully Jack knelt beside Satine and began to work at removing the twine. Very slowly he cut the pieces and pulled them out. He kept his teeth gritted firmly this entire time and when he was done it began to bleed. He stopped the bleeding but wasn't going to suture it yet.

Jack sat there for a moment, pressing his hand on her bleeding side. If he let go, she would possibly bleed to death within an hour. This wound was deep and needed several layers of stitching.

This girl hadn't done anything wrong to deserve to be where she was. Jack felt a horrible rush of guilt in his chest and knew that there was a big possibility she was going to die. If her fever didn't go down she would be dead within a week. Jack had no idea what other injuries she might have sustained while with that group of people.

He heard Satine make a sound and looked up at her. She was shaking terribly, sweat on her forehead. She was extremely hot but clammy, and her skin as pale as snow.

Jack made sure the bleeding was stopped before getting up and walking out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

"Find Sawyer," Jack said to Sayid grimly. "Quick."

Sawyer had been sitting in one of the corners of the caves when he heard Sayid shouting for him. Slowly, as though not caring very much, and shuffled over.

"What?" Sawyer asked nastily as Sayid came hurrying up to him.

"Jack wants to see you," Sayid said, looking as though he were fighting to keep a firm face. "Come."

Sawyer followed Sayid into the door to the hatch and past the crowds of people helping the injured. Feeling quite sick from the amount of blood everywhere, Sawyer looked up and saw Jack approaching.

"Sawyer," Jack looked extremely upset. "Satine is in there. She's in bad shape, the infection is breaking down her body already. She's not responding to the antibiotics quickly enough and I think she might have internal injuries."

Sawyer just stared at Jack confusedly.

"Why are you telling me this? Is this what you made me get up for?" snapped Sawyer, looking over at Sayid. "Half of that wasn't even in English."

Jack looked furious and stepped closer to Sawyer.

"Satine might die," Jack growled. "She doesn't have a very good chance of surviving."

"Why exactly is this my problem?" demanded Sawyer, stepping back with his hands up. "Tell someone who cares."

With that he turned and hurried from the hatch.

Jack looked over at Sayid and then down at his hands.

"He'll be back," Sayid said surely. "He cares, that's why he left."

Nodding, Jack patted Sayid on the back before walking back over to Kate.


	27. Chapter 27: Out of Time

The door to the dark bedroom opened slowly. Everyone in the underground shelter was asleep. No one wanted to sleep outside tonight, especially with the sounds of the still burning fires crackling in the distance. A few hours before Locke and Sayid had gone out to put the fires out, and recover any remains of people and bury them as quickly as possible.

Now the people who had been injured and the people who were okay all lay sleeping either on the floor, on the two couches or on the lounge chairs. Several people were sitting upright against the wall, their heads hanging down asleep. There was a sense of worry, and of fear but there was also the air that it was over, and there was nothing left to do.

The bedroom door closed and a figure walked slowly towards the bunk bed. Only one of the beds was occupied and the thin figure within it was covered in a thin quilt. Sawyer bent beside the bed and looked at Satine's ghostly face in the small bit of light coming through the doorway.

She was pale and shivering. Her skin had almost a greenish tinge to it and the more she shivered the harder she shook. Her brow was sweating and she looked afraid, her eyes shut tight.

Sawyer didn't know why he had come in here. Perhaps it was because the only words that were ringing in his head were that she wouldn't survive. Jack had sounded so sure, he had seemed to positive that this was the end for Satine. It seemed almost impossible that this girl, this kid that had saved all of their lives by sacrificing herself, would be gone. She had arrived so abruptly, and seemed so out of place yet Sawyer could swear he knew her. He could swear those eyes looked so familiar.

He knew where he knew her from now and he wasn't sure whether or not it would be a good idea to let her know. Perhaps she hadn't figured it out yet but Sawyer doubted that with that weird talent of hers. He sat on the chair facing the bed, his hands together and just watched her for a few moments before speaking.

"James was my friend," he said quietly, his voice breaking the silence harshly. "We were…buddies I guess. We'd been assigned to work together on a con and we just kinda became friends."

She didn't respond, but just kept right on sleeping and shivering, occasionally taking in a small gasp.

"They wanted me. They knew I was traveling with a buddy and I was afraid they'd shoot him. He had kids and all so I tried to send him away after I found out they killed his wife. That hadn't been an accident. They wanted to get the point across to him that he should have turned me in. But…good ol' James," Sawyer let out a small laugh and shook his head. "Yeah he would never turn me in. So I had to be the one to tell him about his girl being gone. It sucked, man. It really sucked. But I knew if I got him out of town he'd be safe. Then they'd come after me. I had nothing to live for, I didn't have a little kid. I just had my gun and my money."

Sawyer jumped when he thought he heard something outside the door. Looking back at the crack in the door where a thin stream of light came through, he saw nothing. There was silence again.

"I saw you at the funeral. I know you were only a kid but I guess I didn't think they'd come after your family. They took all your pop's cash, I knew that. I may have been wanted but there were a few guys who kept me up to date. I know you moved around a bunch and then finally settled down. I guess your pop didn't explain to your mom that he was almost completely broke before she went credit happy."

Satine began to tremble and Sawyer felt as though he had less time.

"I didn't know it was you, kid. I really didn't. And when I heard about how badly James dying messed up your entire family I felt bad, I really did. That's rare for me, but I was only a kid when I lost my folks so I could understand. But then you started looking for me so I couldn't let you find me…but you did, I guess. Too bad we never met before this, it would have made everything a lot easier," Sawyer sighed.

Her eyes began fluttering and for a moment Sawyer thought she was waking up but she seemed to be shaking even worse, her breath coming in short gasps. He knew Jack would be in soon to check on her.

"You don't deserve this. It's my fault you're all messed up. And I'm…" he looked down. "I'm sorry, kid. I really am. Getting to know ya was nice. Kinda like getting off this rock with all these boring assholes. You didn't know me so ya didn't judge me right off the bat. It was like having James back in a way…"

Sawyer now definitely heard movement outside so he took a deep breath.

"Take care, kid," he said, putting a hand on her arm which was shaking horribly. Sawyer kept his teeth clenched tightly as he got up, swallowing hard. When he turned around he jumped.

"Eavesdropping?" Sawyer snapped at Jack who was standing in the doorway looking shocked.

"I…" Jack seemed unsure of what to say. "I had no idea you knew her…"

"I don't," Sawyer walked quickly past Jack but Jack turned and left the room, closing the door behind him. Sawyer leaned against the wall outside the room. It was dark out here and directly across from them was everyone who had survived the explosion sleeping soundly.

"Sawyer, she's not going to survive," Jack whispered simply although Sawyer made a show of looking the other way. "She doesn't have past mid day tomorrow."

"You're so sure?" Sawyer snapped, looking back at Jack with severe eyes. He didn't look upset as much as he looked scared.

"I'm sure. She's not responding to the anti-biotics. If her fever doesn't break…she's going to die."

Sawyer kept his teeth clenched as he nodded and then turned to walk away. Jack caught his arm and turned him back.

"Don't leave your good-byes for the last minute. I can't guarantee she'll live until morning," Jack whispered, looking hard at Sawyer.

"I don't need good-byes, doc," Sawyer pulled his arm away. "I don't care."

Jack watched him go and jumped when he felt someone tap his shoulder. Jack turned and saw Sayid standing behind him in the dark, covered in dirt and blood.

"We moved as many as we could but some parts are just…well too gruesome. Locke went off to see if he could find any more explosives that may not have exploded," Sayid said as Jack lead him away towards the back, away from the sleeping survivors. "But Jack, we don't know if any others survived and ran off. There were over sixty and from what we can find there aren't sixty bodies, or what is left of the bodies. I know you have some injured…"

"Twenty injured from the others," Jack whispered, leaning against the wall looking tired. "But four of them won't make it. One is missing a hand and the others are covered in burns. It's taking all the medication we have to keep them from waking up and screaming."

"The ones that are alive and well, we need to question them," Sayid insisted. He was covered in blood and looked slightly manic. Jack wondered exactly what Sayid and Locke had seen out there. "We need to find out if there are more and if they possibly have a way off this island."

"We can't ask them yet. We have to wait until those that are going to die have, and when we can definitely determine who will be okay. If we start questioning and the ones we're questioning die, we're out of luck. We have to make sure none lie to us," Jack whispered hurriedly.

"I will need to interrogate each of them privately so they cannot make up one big lie. And we need to do it before they are well enough to gather together," Sayid looked frantic and Jack saw he was wringing his hands. Jack looked away. "Is Kate alright?"

"Yeah, I have to go check on her. But I think she'll be okay. The bullet didn't hit any organs so it's just tissue that's bleeding. It'll heal fast," Jack tried to reassure himself. He hoped no one would figure out that he had hidden away several bottles of anti-biotics just for Kate so none would be used.

"In the morning, separate those from the other side. But do not leave them alone together. Keep watches over them at all times," Sayid instructed and although Jack didn't like taking orders, he nodded obediently. "I'll question the men first and then the women."

"Eko said…" Jack looked back at the dark shadows on the other side of the room. "He said some of the others were Tailies. That some of them were taken and somehow…brainwashed?"

"It's possible they were kidnapped and tortured into becoming one of them," Sayid seemed so sure of this, his eyes looking distantly over Jack's shoulder. "We'll know in the morning. How is that girl?"

"She won't live past tomorrow," Jack sighed deeply. "Her infection is too far gone."

"There is nothing you can do?"

Jack looked slowly up at Sayid as though it had been a joke.

"No. Nothing."

Nodding, Sayid bid Jack goodnight and headed off. For a moment Jack stood there and then he headed over to where Kate lay.

He bent beside her and took her pulse, which was normal. Her wound had stopped bleeding but she hadn't awoken yet, possibly from the loss of blood. She had no temperature thanks to the dose of antibiotics Jack had given her when they'd gotten her here. Now all he had to do was wait.

"Kate," Jack whispered, putting a gentle hand on her forehead. "Can you hear me?"

She remained asleep, breathing deeply and looking pale in the dim light. He just stared at her for a long time, leaning up against the wall, and for one quick moment he was back at his wedding to Sarah. She was standing before him as he said his vows, and suddenly her face changed. Her hair became darker and her features more defined. She wasn't wearing a dress but a dirty tank top and cargo pants, her face dirty and sweaty and a large backpack on her back. It was Kate and instead of being on the beach where they'd gotten married, Jack was standing with her in the jungle and she was pointing towards the ocean. She was pointing way out, past where the remaining tents on the beach were. And Jack looked at where her finger was pointing and he saw something. Someone was standing on the shore, something large in the figures arms.

Jack was sucked from his dream and awoke with a jump, looking all around. He had dozed off against the wall beside where Kate lay. Looking around he saw it was still dark. He had only fallen asleep for a few moments.

Yet something wasn't right. That dream hadn't been a dream. It was like someone had inserted that into his head, using Kate to put the point across. Standing up, Jack walked over to the bedroom door and opened it. Looking inside he saw Satine was still lying there, shivering but alive. Jack stepped inside for a moment and bent beside the bed.

"Who is it?" Jack whispered harshly. "Who was it?"

"Michael," was all she could croak.

Jack was running so fast through the jungle that he was sure that eventually he'd fall flat on his face. It was pitch dark as he tried to maneuver the path, occasionally drifting from it and finding it again. When he reached the caves he turned hard and ran straight for the beach.

He came out onto the sand winded and panting, searching the water line. In his mind he knew it was probably stupid to have thought Satine could put something into his head, that she was showing him something. But last time he hadn't listened to her, something bad had happened.

Jack walked farther away from the trees to get a better look down the shore. The moonlight sparkled on the crashing waves and for a moment Jack thought he saw nothing but shadows. Then he saw it, the dark figure holding something standing in the crashing waves.

"MICHAEL!" Jack shouted, taking off towards him.

Michael stood up to his hips in the crashing waves with the limp Walt in his arms. Michael's head was bleeding and he was crying silently, staring out at the empty ocean as the waves continuously smashed into him, pulling him out with every receding wave. Jack splashed into the water and ran straight up to him, turning him hard.

"Michael!" Jack shouted, looking down at Walt who looked lifeless. "What are you doing?"

"I need to get my boy home!" Michael shouted at Jack, stepping back. He stumbled as another wave hit them. "I need to get him home!"

"Let's take Walt back and I can look at him!" Jack shouted, doing exactly the opposite of that. He was afraid that if he looked at Walt he'd see that Walt was dead. "Come on!"

"NO!" Michael stepped back again but this time his foot stuck in the wet sand and he fell back, splashing into the water. Jack took a firm hold of Walt's arm, which had flown in the air as he fell backwards. Gripping Walt's limp body, Jack pulled him up as Michael scrambled to stand. "Give me my boy!"

"You're not well! Michael, let me help him!" Jack pleaded, feeling how cold and limp Walt really was. Jack began trying to walk back to shore, carrying Walt but he felt Michael grab him.

"Give him back to me! I won't let you take him again!"

Michael had seized Walt's arms and was trying to pull him away from Jack. Jack was struggling towards shore, Walt's weight keeping him from getting away from Michael. Gripping the small boy hard, praying that Michael wouldn't drag all three of them down to drown tonight.

Jack had gotten almost to the shore when he felt Michael give his shirt a hard tug. Jack, expecting to fall backwards and lose grip of Walt, braced himself for the fall. But a hand had come out of nowhere and seized Walt hard, and Jack was kept steady as a second arm came out of nowhere, slugging Michael hard in the face.

Michael fell sideways into the waves as Jack hurried up the beach and dropped Walt to the sand. Looking back, he saw Sawyer lifting Michael out of the water and dragging him up to lay beside his son.

"Thanks," Jack panted, shivering slightly. "But where…"

"I saw you run out, figured it couldn't be good," Sawyer said, also breathless and soaking wet. "Is he…"

Sawyer had nodded towards Walt. Jack looked down at the unconscious boy and carefully lowered his head to listen to Walt's chest.

Back in the shelter, Satine had awoken. She was in agony yet turning over, she could see someone had opened the door to her room.

"Sawyer?" she croaked, her throat dry.

She squinted hard but it was too dark and her vision too blurry. She was shivering and freezing as she tried to focus on the figure coming closer to her.

Out of nowhere, someone had seized her throat.


	28. Chapter 28: Sworn

Jack carried the limp yet alive Walt back to the shelter while Sawyer dragged Michael heavily behind. They had only reached the doorway when they knew something was wrong.

The heavy metal door sat open and in the doorway was a lot of dirt as though there had been a scuffle. Jack barged through in time to see everyone in the shelter running around like maniacs, women were screaming and Aaron was crying in the distance. People were running as fast as they could towards the exit and the lights hadn't even been turned on.

"What's going on?" Jack shouted, his arms aching from holding Walt for so long.

No one answered, people just barged past to get out. Only when Jack saw Hurley did he step into the raging crowd to fight his way towards Hurley.

"Hey!" Jack tried to get to him but Hurley was being shoved by the crowd. "Hurley!"

"THEY'RE ALL DEAD, MAN!" Hurley screamed at Jack. "ALL OF THEM!"

Immediately Jack handed Walt over to Hurley who looked confused and shocked. Shoving past several people, Jack burst through the doorway to the bedroom and flicked on the light.

Someone was kneeling over the bunk bed, their hands tightly around Satine's throat. She was pale and not struggling.

Jack leapt forward and seized the back of this strangers beige shirt, pulling him back hard. The stranger hadn't let go of Satine, causing her to fall with him limply. When the stranger fell he stood and Jack saw it was a man who only hours before had seemed unconscious and gravely injured.

"What are you…"

The man punched Jack and Jack stumbled back. Struggling back up, Jack shoved the man and sent him flying into the wall, crashing into the shelves. Books fell upon him as he got back to his feet and went for Jack but a gunshot rang out of nowhere.

Sayid stood in the doorway, his gun outstretched and smoking. The stranger gave Jack one last look of hatred before falling to the ground dead.

"Is she alive?" Sayid asked as Jack scrambled to pick Satine up off the floor. She was cold and unmoving. He turned her over and felt her pulse. She had a heartbeat but she wasn't breathing.

Performing CPR, Jack began to realize exactly what had happened. He could see the blood on the floor and could understand in the screams and in Hurley's shouts.

Satine gave a gasp and coughed hard. Jack lifted her back onto the bed but she had begun trembling again. Turning back to Sayid, Jack looked hopeless.

"They killed all of the remaining others," Sayid said quietly to Jack, his gun now facing the floor. The body of the stranger lay motionless, almost statue like. "Then they fled."

"Did they hurt any of our own?" Jack asked, standing and preparing another dose for Satine. "Is everyone okay?"

"I don't know. Everyone just ran out. The bodies…they butchered them," Sayid looked away, looking sick. Jack knew he had seen enough of it that night when he'd been gathering bodies with Locke. Now this.

"Where's Kate?" Jack left the bedroom and searched the ground. Only a few people remained. Hurley stood where he had been in front of the counter with Walt in his arms. Charlie was trying to calm Claire down who was clutching Aaron to her and speaking in a hysterically high tone. Sawyer had left Michael on the floor by the door and was kneeling over one of the dead.

"Kate…where…"

"She's okay," said John from behind them. He had appeared out of the hallway. "I moved her to the armory."

Jack let out an enormous sigh that he didn't bother hiding. Sawyer looked up at Jack and then headed into the bedroom.

"Give him to me," Jack said, taking Walt from Hurley. He lay him down on the couch and examined him. Sayid and John stood above him. "He seems okay, just a concussion and he's dehydrated. I'll keep an eye on him."

The room was like hell on earth. Those who had been injured lying on mats and towels on the floor were now dead, bleeding everywhere. Those that hadn't been smothering or strangled had been stabbed or just hit with any kind of weapon available. Jack felt slightly nauseous and stumbled to the sink for a moment.

"They didn't want anyone talking," John said, looking at the bodies lying as they had before, except now most were bleeding and some had pillows or blankets over their faces.

"There's no point trying to catch them. But we should try to gather everyone if not here, then in the caves. It's more dangerous for them to be running frightened through the jungle," Sayid said. "I'll go out and see if I can round them up. Charlie!"

Charlie had gotten Claire to go into the room where Satine was and calm down. He had just returned.

"Yeah, okay," Charlie looked pale and traumatized. Dark circles were around his eyes. "Jack, just keep an eye on Claire, okay?"

Jack nodded, holding down his nausea. He continued to lean on the counter, swallowing hard. Whenever he looked at the bodies, he felt extremely sick.

After Sayid and Charlie had left, John and Jack stood in the main room. Hurley was sitting on one of the couches facing the other way. Jack was sure he was going through his own trauma.

"We can't let them get back to where they were," John said firmly. "We have to stop them."

"How many are left, maybe twenty?" Jack snapped. He felt sick and extremely agitated.

"There were more. The explosion didn't kill the rest, they ran off. They're going to regroup and even if their leader is dead…"

"John!" Jack was infuriated. He had gotten over feeling sick and now just felt disgusted as he came around the counter to face Locke. "We are not going out there again! We lost lives! People died and more people died just now! How can you even…"

"We are all going to die if we don't do something!" John shouted. He was the angriest Jack had ever seen him. "They will come back full force and try again!"

"How do you know this, John?" Jack was now right up against John, his whole body trembling with rage and fear. "How can you be so sure they're not going to just try to survive?"

"Because that's not why they're here. They weren't brought here by accident like us. They have a purpose here and their sole purpose is to get this hatch back!" John's face was bright red. "And they'll kill anyone who gets in their way!"

"HEY!"

Jack and Locke turned to see Hurley had stood up. He looked pale and sick, and terrified. He walked slowly towards them and stopped a few feet away.

"We all just watched all those people get killed," Hurley said flatly, his voice shaking. "And all you two can think about is who is right."

"We're thinking about everyone's safety," Jack interrupted.

"No, you're not. You're thinking about the fastest solution. Did you ever stop to think that maybe no one trusts you anymore? You've always been the leader, Jack. Everyone looked up to you because you're the doctor, you're the one who is going to save us all," Hurley looked infuriated for the first time since they'd arrived on the island. "Well they're scared of you, man. They're scared of all of you. Because in case you forgot, they saw Kate and Sawyer run out right before the explosion happened. It's almost like you….planned it."

"We had no idea what Sawyer and Kate had planned," Jack insisted, feeling as though suddenly everything was on him. "We didn't think they'd do something like that."

"Why did you do it?"

Hurley hadn't said this to Jack or Locke, but over their shoulders at Sawyer who had emerged from the bedroom.

Sawyer just looked back and forth from Hurley to Jack and then to Locke before sighing.

"Because if we hadn't, you'd all be dead," Sawyer said simply, heading towards the exit.

"More are dead because you did it," Jack shouted at his back, causing Sawyer to stop. "You killed them all!"

"No, doc," Sawyer slowly turned around. "That was you."

Claire sat in the chair holding a now sleeping Aaron to her chest. Her heart was still racing and she couldn't believe she had let Charlie talk her into staying down here. Everyone else had ran and she knew she should have too but he had said she was safer here with them.

Looking over Claire could see Satine lying motionless on the bed. Jack had said she wouldn't survive until the next night. Claire suddenly felt extremely jumpy knowing it was possible Satine could die at any moment while she was in there.

Standing, she began to pace. Rocking Aaron, she wondered if this girl knew what had happened. She'd heard about her mother dying and washing up on shore. But she had never really spoken to the girl, mostly out of fear. Everyone had said she had some strange power, and it frightened everyone. No one really wanted to get close to her. Everyone saw how close Sawyer was with her and decided she was fine.

Claire sat back down and tried to calm herself. Looking around she wondered if or when they'd ever be rescued. She was about to get up and open the door when she froze.

Satine had said something and it sounded like Claire's name but the creak of the chair and shuffle of the baby had drowned it out. Claire seemed frozen to the chair, looking over at the bunk bed with wide eyes, sure it had been nothing.

She went to stand again and this time it was definitely her name. She spun, holding Aaron so tight she could have woken him.

"They're.." Satine was croaking, her voice harsh and dry. Her eyes remained shut but she seemed to be struggling to get the words out. Her whole body was trembling. "They're not…gone."

"What?" Claire breathed, barely able to remain standing. This girl was near dying, how was she talking. "I'll get Jack…"

"They're still here!" Satine eyes suddenly flew open and she was facing Claire, her chest heaving and the color quickly draining from her face. "They're still…"

Suddenly her body went rigid and she seemed to be seizing up, her back arching, her fists clenched. Claire screamed as an unearthly sound came out of Satine.

The door burst open and before Jack could even ask her what had happened Claire had bolted out past Jack and Sawyer who were standing in the doorway. Jack raced to the bedside as John appeared in the doorway.

"She's septic," Jack said, trying to push Satine back down to the mattress but her back was arched too strongly. Jack began to pant as he tried to steady her.

"Sawyer! Hold her head straight!" Jack ordered.

Sawyer came beside Jack and put his hands on either side of Satine's head. She was drenched in a cold sweat and was trembling as she continued to stay rigid, her teeth grinding. Sawyer kept her head from twisting painfully as she seized. Jack was trying as hard as he could to push her down.

As they did this, Sawyer suddenly looked down at Satine's face and felt as though the entire hope of ever surviving on this island, all their hopes of ever being rescued were about to die with this girl. Jack saw this too as he felt her seizure passing and her body relaxed. He left his hand on her chest, waiting for it to rise again as he realized that their struggle to survive here truly was over.

She lay still and Sawyer removed his hands, just watching her. Jack waited, his hand on her chest. For a moment nothing happened. Jack removed his hand.

"She's gone," Jack said quietly, standing up. Sawyer remained crouched beside the bed, his stony face on Satine's.

Sawyer felt sick, sicker than he had in a long time. He just stared at her, unsure of what to do. If he stood up and left the room, it would be true. They would remain here, continue fighting for this ridiculous underground shack. Sawyer tried to control it but he was shaking very obviously. She was gone and suddenly he knew it was his fault. If James hadn't died, none of it would have led her here. He swallowed hard, choking back what he hated to do most.

"Sawyer, I'm…"

"Shut up," Sawyer spat, his entire body shaking as he continued to look at her pale face.

"Sawyer, I…"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Sawyer snapped. "Listen!"

Jack was silent and for a moment there was no sound. Then, very softly, he heard it. A tiny wheeze, almost like a squeak was coming from the girl lying in the bed. Her pale skin almost matching the sheets, her hair splayed around her face it was almost like the perfect scene of death. Except for that sound and the fact that her chest had begun to rise and fall again.

"Are you serious?" Jack breathed, bending and listening to her chest. "She's…she's alive."

Sawyer stood and backed away. John stood in the doorway, his silhouette casting a shadow across the room. Stepping aside, the light flooded in and illuminated her. If her chest hadn't been moving so slightly up and down, and she hadn't begun shivering again, you would have thought she was dead.

"I can't believe this," Jack was feeling her pulse, not believing this. "She had a seizure, she's septic, her temperature has to be 104. How…"

"Don't ask why," John said quietly from beside Sawyer. "Just be thankful."

"She's in pain. She'll be in agony if she stays like this," Jack breathed. He turned to get a cloth and felt an icy hand grip his wrist.

Looking down Satine had gripped his wrist with power he never thought she had. Looking up to her face he saw her eyes were wide open staring at him.

"They're still here," she breathed, more breathing the words than speaking. "They're…they...Claire."

Jack looked back at John and Sawyer confusedly. Then John's eyes widened and he raced from the room. Sawyer followed but Satine still had grip on Jack's arm so he couldn't move.

"Jack…" she looked terrified. "I don't want to die."

He could see in her eyes the fear, the complete and utter terror written all over her face. She was so close, so nearing death. How could Jack possibly promise her anything?

She didn't let go and he just saw the innocence, saw everything she'd been through and all the things she'd done for them since she arrived. And he did something he swore he'd never do again, something he knew would only end up destroying him.

"I promise you're not going to die," he swore to her, taking hold of her hand on his arm. It was as cold as ice. "I promise."


	29. Chapter 29: Hostage

(I'll star when it's the beginning and end of a flashback. I know sometimes it gets confusing.)

Satine only had one good memory in her life. And it didn't involve anybody but herself.

Jack's promise had made her see that it was possibly to have reassurance, to have hope. She knew she was going to die, she knew it was inevitable but just hearing the words from Jack's mouth seemed to give her strength enough to dream.

Her delirium carried her into a state of unconsciousness where she was aware that she was thinking but wasn't in complete control of where her thoughts went.

She wasn't any older than thirteen and she stood on the sand of a beach in New Mexico where her family was vacationing. It wasn't anything special because they'd been there before and been to dozens of other exotic locations.

But it was nighttime and the moon was high. Her whole family was inside asleep and it was very late, almost too dangerous for her to be walking the grounds of the resort by herself. But she had to get out, get away from the people who seemed to be backing her into a tiny corner.

She didn't walk or even think, she just stood on the beach maybe five feet from the surf and stared out. There was nothing to see but ocean and dark sky but somehow, she felt like this was exactly where she'd like to stay until she died. If she could choose one spot in the entire world to spend the rest of her life, it was this tiny beach in New Mexico.

It made no sense, of course, but she didn't care. Her parents would make her return to their stuffy L.A. mansion the next day and then she'd go back to her stuck up school with her snobby friends. Was Satine a snob, yes probably but it didn't mean she liked it. She couldn't stand the fact that most of her friends had plastic surgery by the time they were twelve. It made her feel sick just to think about it. And she knew all of them had more problems than they admitted.

But that wasn't her concern. Right now she stood here staring out to sea, not knowing what the future held for her. She had no way of knowing she'd spend the next few years of her life hunting down the man who had ruined her family. Nor that she'd end up losing her mother and then sitting this close to death.

None of it made sense. She continued to stare out at the sea, wishing it would swallow her whole….

"Claire!" John shouted as they hurried through the shelter, peeking in the doorways. Hurley, who had been sitting in the chairs, stood confusedly.

"Did you see…" John began to ask but Hurley just pointed towards the exit.

"Wait!" Sawyer shouted as John went to head for the exit.

John turned to see Sawyer picking up Aaron's blue blanket. Both of them exchanged a look before bursting through the doorway and out into the jungle.

Jack remained kneeling beside Satine, his hand still firmly clasped around hers although now she was unconscious again and hers was limp. He gently laid it upon her chest and turned away, looking at the ceiling.

It was quiet outside the door and Jack looked back at Satine. He gave her one more dose of antibiotics and then stood, shaking slightly. He froze when he heard it.

It was like someone struggling to breathe and a heavy limp dragging across the rough floor of the shelter. Jack remained where he was, barely breathing as his eyes watched the doorway and slowly a shadow passed before it and Jack caught a glimpse of someone limping painfully by, clutching their chest and dragging what looked like a bum leg.

It was an Other. Jack recognized the clothes, the beige brandless clothes that seemed stitched together. Satine had said they were still there, but had she meant just this guy? Jack could knock him down and get Sawyer in time to tie him up. Slowly Jack headed towards the door, hiding behind it and peeking through the crack.

His breath was taken away when he saw people in beige colored clothing creeping out from all parts of the shelter, from hiding places Jack never would have thought of. Someone climbed out of the cabinets under the sink, and a very small woman came crawling out of the air vent in the ceiling. Several people were slower in appearing, limping out from the other rooms and someone even pushed out a hiding place in the wall Jack had never known about.

"Oh man," was all Jack heard Hurley say before someone hit Hurley hard over the head, sending him sprawling to the ground. Jack winced, backing up slightly. He knew that if they found him they'd kill him.

He looked back at Satine and saw she was still unconscious. If he could carry her and his bag of medicine, he could make a run for the door. There was nothing he could do about Hurley but if he could get Satine out and somehow grab Walt who was probably still lying unconscious on the couch…

Jack froze, barely breathing. There were about thirty of them roaming the shelter, examining the dead bodies on the ground. No one spoke and then loud and clear, Jack heard the lock turn on the airtight door to the outside. No one was getting in.

Sawyer and John were running through the jungle, following the path to the beach, shouting for Claire. Why, they had no idea but Satine's warning seemed to make them both think they needed to find her. When they reached the beach they found people in hysterics. Most of the stuff from the tents had been moved into the shelter but some of the more personal things like luggage and other artifacts hadn't. Now survivors were gathering their things as quickly as they could, dragging them down the beach in a long line.

"Where is everyone going?" John shouted.

Sayid had been pleading with people not to go when he saw Sawyer and John appear out of the woods. He jogged over to them panting.

"Everyone's leaving. They think it isn't safe…"

"And wandering into the jungle is?" John angrily burst.

"They don't trust you and Jack anymore. You've led them this far but now people have died. Michael woke back up and went running off into the jungle screaming for Walt," Sayid was bleeding on his shoulder. He looked like he'd been in a fight and his eyes showed his exhaustion and desperation. "They're moving farther down the beach closer to the peninsula."

"But that thing is underwater half the time," Sawyer exclaimed. He was scanning the beach for Claire. "Have you seen Claire?"

"She is completely unmanageable. She refuses to move and won't let anyone near her or Aaron. I'm afraid she might be hurt, her leg looked injured. But she won't let anyone near her. Charlie is with her and she'll let him hold Aaron but she….she found a gun," Sayid said quietly.

The people continued down the beach and Sawyer suddenly got a very bad, sick feeling in his stomach. They had left Jack back at the shelter and Satine had said they were back…

"Oh shit," Sawyer grunted angrily. "Oh man, they wanted us to run out!"

"What?" Sayid looked confused.

"The kid! They're using her to get us outta there! Damn!"

Sawyer took off running back towards the hatch, Sayid and John at his heels. He reached the door and saw it was shut and knew before even trying that it was locked.

"Damn it!" Sawyer screamed angrily as he tried to turn the handle. "GOD DAMN IT!"

"Sawyer!" John tried to calm him. "Maybe Jack…"

"Don't you get it?" fuming, his face beat red Sawyer felt slightly lightheaded as he contained his fury. "Don't you see? They distracted us! Got us out! They used the kid to scare us off! We left Jack alone down there…"

"Hurley and Walt are down there," John said quietly.

The three men looked at each other for a moment and then back at the door.

Jack remained motionless. None of them had come into this room. One had poked his head in but didn't seem to see anything of interest. Perhaps they didn't see Satine, or maybe they knew she was there and didn't care. Jack tried to see through the crack in the door if Walt was still there and if Hurley was okay but he couldn't see anything. Jack could only listen as he heard shuffles and things being dragged. He knew they were probably moving the bodies.

No one had spoken and Jack found this so odd. How can so many people communicate without words? He knew they spoke, they had spoken to him the night they kidnapped Kate…

Kate. Jack suddenly felt like his insides would turn inside out. She was still in the armory, she was lying probably terrified by herself in that tiny room with the door closed.

Looking around desperately, Jack could see nothing that he could use as a weapon. Of all the times not to have a gun on him. He only had a few syringes which he kept for emergencies, and there was a long piece of metal lying on the floor near the bunk bed. It was from something John had torn apart inside the wall and it had been kicked around in all the confusion. But it would do nothing but cut people and Jack didn't exactly want to slice open people.

Did he have a choice? He had to get them out and he had to get to Kate. His mind was racing, reason and instinct raging a fierce battle. He remained completely still, not sure whether it was worth the risk to even go get the piece. It was directly in view of the door, right below Satine.

Could he wake her? Possibly, he figured if he shook her enough he could get her partially awake but not enough to walk. The girl had a temperature of over 104 and was septic. She wouldn't make it two feet. But if she was awake, she could help him. She could at least struggle along and he wouldn't be forced to carry her.

How was he going to carry three people? Putting his hands over his face, Jack for once in his life knew he was defeated. There was no way he could come out of this a victor. They had gotten their shelter with a few captives but what were a few more bodies to the so many already dead? Shaking his head, he tried to rid himself of this thought. But it kept coming back and it wouldn't leave. No matter what, he knew he was going to end up losing.

He would have to choose. He knew already who he would save. Satine was dying, she had no hope of living. But Kate was recovering. She was only injured slightly and was stronger and older. She'd come through her injuries. As for Walt and Hurley, Jack didn't want to think about that at the moment.

Jack walked slowly out of the waiting room. Looking back in the window he saw two young girls, looking as though they were in high school, hugging an older man. This man and his two daughters had been told their mother had less than a few weeks to live. She had cancer of the cerebrum, and Jack had been the one to operate on her.

At first he figured it was fine, the tumor was easy to remove from the spinal cord without any injury. But then he saw it. Many more masses, up to twenty more growing below where this first tumor was. They covered her entire spine and he knew they were already into her kidneys.

He remembered looking up at his father and thinking that this was the GAME OVER sign. This meant that even though he'd made one move, he'd lost the battle. He couldn't save this woman and he knew she was a mother. It was the most painful thing in the world to sew her up, knowing she would be back on a table like this soon but for a different reason.

Failure wasn't a word in Jack's vocabulary. For a long time he had sat in the locker room just staring straight ahead. How could he not be able to fix her? Before the surgery he'd told the family how optimistic it looked, how the tumor could be removed and some radiation would kill the remaining cells. The girls had probably lost all their fears of losing their mother. Now he had told them that at most they had three weeks but if the wound from the surgery gets infected, less.

He had failed. Jack had been unable to save someone. It tore him up inside and he denied it for a while until he heard the woman had died only a few days later. Once again, he had failed. His own words this time had failed.

Looking one more time at the waiting room, he saw the girls crying and the man holding them. At one point they had probably even smiled at each other in that room, hopes high. Now Jack walked away, a man of science, not faith.

"Stop!" Sayid shouted as Sawyer tried pounding the door with a large metal rod from one of the tents. "Sawyer!"

"It'll break it!" Sawyer smashed it harder and pieces of metal were flying. One hit his arm and cut him but he ignored it. "It'll work!"

"This is a quarantine cell! There is no way you are getting in!" Sayid shouted angrily. "SAWYER."

"I'll get in!" Sawyer went to hit the door again but a strong hand had stopped it. Looking up, Sawyer saw John had a firm grasp of Sawyer's wrist. Carefully, John removed the piece of metal and threw it aside, letting go.

"So what now?" demanded Sawyer, watching as Sayid and John simply looked thoughtful.

"I'm thinking," Sayid sat down.

"Well think faster! We don't know how many are in there!"

"We don't know if any are in there!" John insisted. "It's possible Claire closed the door on her way out and…"

"Yes. In her hurry to leave after screaming and almost knocking me over, she was able to turn the giant wheel on this door all while holding a friggin baby in her arms. Right, okay Locke," Sawyer turned away angrily and stared at the door as though wishing it to open. "Makes a lot of sense."

"And what are you saying is in there? Are you saying they have been hiding in there all along?" asked John. He seemed skeptical as he stood beside Sawyer, questioning him.

"The kid said they were still here…"

"Still here? Here on the island? I already said that most had survived but everyone seemed so convinced it had worked!" John snapped. "Maybe if you hadn't decided to blow up the enemy this wouldn't have happened!"

"If Kate and I hadn't done that, you'd all be dead!" Sawyer screamed in John's face, his face sweaty and red. He was so worked up he felt sick. "We had to do it!"

"Yes, and now having Jack, Kate, Walt, Hurley, and the psychic girl all held hostage in our own shelter by unknown people is so much better!" John retorted.

"Better than our entire group being wiped out!"

"They would have gotten you first," John growled.

Sawyer threw a punch but Sayid was quick and knocked it off course, sending Sawyer stumbling sideways. He hit the door and rebounded.

"STOP!" Sayid came between them as Sawyer went towards John again, who stood as he usually did when people threw punches at him, looking as though he were lost. "Stop this! We need to get in!"

"We ain't getting in because he don't want us to get in!" Sawyer pointed at John. "He's enjoying this."

"Your emotional attachment to the girl is clouding your logic," John simply said from behind Sayid who wouldn't leave the space between them. "You love her and cannot see beyond that."

Sawyer stepped back from Sayid and turned to face the door, putting his hands on the wheel. No one said anything and Sayid calmly said he was going to go back to the beach to find people to help. This left Sawyer and John in an awkward silence that John broke by walking away after Sayid.

Standing with both hands on the wheel, Sawyer stared hard at the cold metal. In his mind he was denying everything John had said yet in his heart, he couldn't.


	30. Chapter 30: Surprise, Surprise

The only time Jack Shepard had ever considered suicide was the day he found out his father was dead.

It was a silly thought, actually because he had a successful career and he was young with a lot of life ahead of him. But he also was divorced, his mother hated him for ruining his father's career, and he was sitting in an Australian morgue drinking horrible coffee and staring down at his hands as he waited for the woman at the payphone to finish so he could book a flight.

The walls were completely white and the cold uncomfortable plastic chairs were no more comfort. The tile floors made every step echo and through a set of doors was a hall that led down to each room where the bodies were held. Jack tried to get the image of his father's face out of his mind, but it seemed stuck there.

His thoughts had strayed to the bridge he had crossed on his way here. It had been a tall one, probably over five hundred feet. The fall alone would kill him and if it didn't, would knock him out so he'd drown. Looking around, he wondered if anyone here would care. He'd probably be dead for weeks before his body was found, decayed. Would his mother bother to make the trip to Australia to find him?

The woman finished at the phone and Jack stood, going over to it and just staring at the receiver. For a moment he forgot why he was here, why he was standing in front of this phone and why his hands felt so cold that the ring he had on, his father's ring, was sliding off.

After making the call, Jack was told his father's body would be transported to the airport in the morning before the flight and that he would have to check it onto the plane. Jack had a strange, comical image of him trying to fit his father into an overhead compartment. Holding down his nausea, he had thanked the woman and went to wait for the phone.

Twenty minutes later Jack had parked his rented car at a scenic overlook and walked across the bridge. There was little traffic, and those cars that did go by were speeding too fast to see him. He reached the middle of the arching bridge and looked over the rail.

The water below shimmered and in the distance the boats in their docks were swaying. The city ahead was bright and the lights reflected on the water, making the sky appear darker than pitch. Jack just stood there, his cold hands gripping the rail.

Looking down again, he saw a small sailboat go under the bridge. It kept going, farther towards the docks. Jack watched this boat go with one hand on the rail and the other foot perched on the bottom.

Hoisting himself up, Jack held himself up by his arms, leaning precariously over the rail. All he'd have to do was lean forward and he'd fall headfirst down into the water. Jack supposed his legs would break as he struck the side of the suspension cables, and he'd probably dislocate his hips when he hit the water. Typical doctor thoughts, he almost laughed at himself, his arms getting slightly tired from staying like this.

He moved his weight only a tiny inch forward but the blast of a horn from a very heavyset man driving by who had accidentally leaned on the horn of his large SUV made Jack jump and fall back to the pavement, both hands still on the rails. Jack watched the car go and then turned around, walking back to his rental car.

There had still been no speaking from the Others as they continued to shuffle around the shelter. Jack was in a deep sweat as he remained standing behind the door, peering through the crack where the hinges held the door to the wall. His eyes kept flicking back to the piece of metal on the floor by where Satine lay. And then his mind would jump to Kate lying alone in the armory.

He had to make a move soon. If he waited too long, Kate might wake up and wander out or even make a sound to alert them to her presence. For a moment Jack remembered that day he had stood looking over the rail at the water below, and for a moment Jack felt as though he was back there. He was only a weights shift from death and he knew it.

Taking a deep breath, Jack slowly stepped forward towards the piece…

Sawyer had been sitting on the ground outside the heavy metal door now for almost a half-hour, just staring at it. Sayid and John were still gone and Sawyer seriously doubted their return.

If she's dead, he thought solemnly, then he'd know it. When she had almost died, when she had stopped breathing, he had felt it. His heart had seemed to race and it just had driven into him. She was still alive and Sawyer held a little bit of hope knowing that Jack was in there. Jack would save her, he would help her.

The fact that Kate was in there also had also crossed his mind. But it was just as helpless as the fact that Satine was in there. Then, as he was sitting there, holding a handful of dirt in one hand, it occurred to him.

The hatch they had blown off, they had covered the hole with the twisted piece of metal and then nailed tarp over it to keep rain out. They used the side door, it was of no use to them. Sawyer stood so quickly he got dizzy but then turned and ran as fast as he could into the jungle.

He had no tools but it didn't matter. As he ran he knew he would pass the area where the explosion took place. He slowed down when he reached it and scanned the ground. There had to be a gun here. All those people had blown up but it would have sent guns flying into the air. Maybe Sayid and John had found them all. Sawyer cursed himself repeatedly as he trudged through the blood stained grass, no bodies around but plenty of evidence of the disaster around. The burnt bits of wood and trees were everywhere and there were large holes in the canopy where it had gone up in flames. A distinct smell of blood was everywhere and in some places were large dried puddles of it.

After a few minutes Sawyer was about to give up when he saw something that made him turn around and retch into the bushes behind him. He leaned against the tree, shaking slightly. Then he turned back and approached it.

A severed arm lay in the grass just ahead. It had been torn from the shoulder, the shoulder bone still attached. Blood surrounded it and stained the dirt around it. Sawyer felt sick to his stomach as he slowly approached it. In the dead, limp hand was a pistol.

Reaching out, Sawyer tried to get it without touching the hand but the finger was in the trigger hole. He held his breath, trying not to look at the end of the arm where the tendons lay splayed. He carefully, using the least amount of movement possible, jostled the gun out of it's grasp. Sawyer jumped back when the arm moved with the gun, dragging an inch or two. Sawyer's yanking back of the gun sent the arm whirling through the air, sending it falling into taller grass a few feet away. Wiping off the handle, he shook himself free of the image and headed on.

He reached the hatch and jumped over the ditch on the side of it. Putting the gun in his jeans, he began yanking at the tarp. A light rain had begun to fall and in the darkness that was slowly becoming lighter, he could see that beneath the tarp wasn't the original cover but some planks. He was able to get the tarp off and then started pulling the wood off. As soon as that was done, he was looking down into the hole Locke and Jack had looked down into when they'd first blown the cover off.

The rain was still falling but it wasn't getting heavier. It fell around his head as he looked down into the blackness. Looking around, he found a rope left there, probably when they had first gone down. It took Sawyer a long time to find a tree to tie it to and make sure it would hold. When he was pretty sure it was safe, he made a knot and tied it around himself.

He climbed down the first few steps of the ladder but below that it was dangling from the wall. So taking a deep breath he stepped off.

It was painful and hard trying to get down. His bad shoulder hurt like hell as he slowly lowered himself. It was completely dark and he had no idea how far it was to the bottom but his rope was running out. When he reached the bottom where he actually sat in the loop he'd built, he could see something shimmering down below. It could have been water or a reflective surface. So, flinging all reason out the window, Sawyer yanked himself out of the loop and dropped.

Jack grabbed the piece of metal and knew someone had seen him because of the shadows across the door. Looking up he saw two large men in beige clothes coming in. They were filthy and one had a large wound on the side of his head. Both had long beards and bare feet.

Neither spoke, they just slowly walked towards Jack, looking menacing. Jack held out the sharp piece of metal and they stepped back.

"Get away," Jack demanded, backing up so his legs hit the bed. "Get back!"

Quickly, Jack reached down and felt Satine's wrist. She had a strong pulse and Jack suddenly realized her fever was breaking. She was responding to the antibiotics, finally. Although he was relieved, he knew he couldn't just leave her now. So carefully he bent down and put one of her arms around his neck and his arm around her small waist. The two men just stood there as Jack did this, one arm extended out towards them brandishing the sharp piece of metal.

When Jack was standing he knew he wouldn't get far but Satine was pretty light and she was making small noises which made him think she might be waking up.

"Let us go and you can have the shelter," Jack pleaded, moving sideways, the weapon straight out ahead of him. "Just let us leave."

Neither of the men spoke, they just watched Jack with intensity, turning slowly as he moved towards the door. He reached it and stepped out. They didn't follow.

Out in the main area, others were everywhere. Some were in the kitchen examining what was in the cabinets. Others were going through bags on the floor. Jack spotted Hurley lying on the floor. He wasn't bleeding and he was definitely breathing. But Jack hadn't gotten as far as Hurley when they began circling him.

Sawyer hit the bottom and stumbled to the side, water splashing up at him. It was ankle deep and disgustingly warm. Sawyer also knew he had broken something, possibly glass, when he landed. Grateful he had landed on his feet and not his knees, he straightened himself out.

The hallway was dark but the light ahead to the main area was on and glowing in the distance. The door to the outside was in this hallway, and he needed to unlock it so that Sayid and John could get in and help him. He had no idea how many people were down here.

Taking out the gun he made sure it was loaded, something he knew he should have done before. It was, and had several rounds left in it. Taking off the safety, he cocked it and held it out in front of him as he walked slowly, his shoes squelching.

He reached the door and wondered if he could turn the wheel without anyone hearing. He knew it would probably give him away but it'd be better to have an escape route and be able to call Sayid and John and possibly others inside to help. They'd be back by now, right?

Taking a deep breath, he turned it slowly. It didn't make noise until it unlocked, that caused a loud click to echo down the hallway. Sawyer froze, waiting for hordes of them to come raging out, brandishing sticks and pillowcases. But they didn't. There was complete silence.

He continued forward and pressed himself against the wall outside the main room. He could hear movement, definitely people moving, but no voices. Slowly he peeked his head around the corner.

Maybe twenty or so of the others were wandering the main area. Most were injured, limping or bleeding as they wandered. Some were ripping open suitcases that were on the floor. Sawyer immediately recognized his own. Hurley lay motionless by the counter and Walt was lying on the couch. From where he was, Sawyer could see the door to the armory. Sawyer also wondered when the next time they needed to press the button was. He remembered it had been pressed right before this had all happened. That had been maybe an hour ago. They had little time left.

Withdrawing his head, Sawyer looked around. Maybe he should go get Sayid and John. No, they'd hear him open the door. Building up his courage, Sawyer was about to go in when he heard Jack.

"Get away! Get back!"

It sounded distant. It was coming from the bedroom. Sawyer listened hard and heard someone moving quickly and heavy breathing. Peeking his head around the corner again he saw the Others backs were turned to face the bedroom doorway. Out of it came Jack, dragging a limp Satine beside him.

Stepping into the doorway, Sawyer held the gun out. The Others turned at the sound of his footsteps. None of them moved.

"Get her out of here," Sawyer said to Jack.

"Get Walt," Jack panted, his face completely white. He looked terrified as his eyes wandered from Sawyer's gun around to the Others. "We'll come back for Hurley."

"We might need help," Sawyer mentioned. Jack gave him a warning look. "Try to wake him."

"You will not move."

The end of a gun had been pressed sharply into the back of Sawyer's neck, a familiar voice erupting from behind him.


	31. Chapter 31: Life and Death

Jack's face had gone from white to almost ghostly, as he stood hunched with Satine held tightly to him. Sawyer had frozen, the gun pressing sharply into his neck.

"Ana?" Jack breathed, his eyes wide.

"You said she was dead," Sawyer hissed, still not moving.

"Yeah, some people just don't know how to check for pulses. Never ask Hurley to confirm if someone's dead," she snapped. Sawyer could hear she sounded terrified. Her voice was shaking and she pressed the gun harder into the back of Sawyer's neck. "Drop your gun."

"What are you doing?" Jack demanded. The others just stood around, looking baffled and confused. A couple were clutching long sharp sticks.

"DROP IT!" she bellowed. Sawyer flung the gun to the ground, purposely throwing it so it would skid to Jack's feet. "Nobody is going to move!"

She moved out from behind Sawyer and Jack could see her better. Her neck was bleeding badly, soaking the collar of her shirt. Her jeans were ripped and Jack could see her eyes were bloodshot. She looked like she'd been struck in the head.

"Where are the kids?" Ana-Lucia demanded, as she had so long ago as she bent over the hole she had dug herself, over the wrongfully accused man. "Where are they?"

None of the Others spoke. Jack was breathing heavily as he held up Satine. Hurley hadn't moved from his spot on the floor. Looking around, Ana seized the collar of a thin, raggedy looking teenager standing nearby. They only knew he was young because he had no beard, unlike the other men who had full grown beards. He was lanky and long, but he looked angry and tough. He was filthy, his beige clothing ripped in many places. He had been helping them move the bodies so his hands were covered in blood.

Ana took the gun and held it to the side of the boy's head.

"Ana!" Jack shouted. "What…"

"SHUT UP!" she screamed at him and Jack saw her blink several times as though to clear her eyes. He knew then that she probably had sustained a bad blow to the head.

Suddenly Ana stopped. She looked straight past Jack, over his shoulder. Standing in the hall was a brown haired young woman wearing a torn black skirt and ripped shirt.

"Cindy?" Ana whispered, holding the boy tightly, the gun pressed to his temple. She didn't move. "Is…is that you?"

The young flight attendant didn't move from her place behind Jack, between two larger men with long beards. They were huge and cast a shadow over her as she slowly stepped forward into the light. She stared back at Ana with blank eyes.

"Where are the kids?" Ana demanded. Cindy didn't move or say anything. Ana clicked the gun and drove it harder into the boy's skull. "WHERE ARE THE KIDS?"

"Ana!" Jack shouted.

The boy hadn't moved, hadn't even struggled. He just let Ana hold him like that, pressing the gun painfully into his head. He didn't even let out a grunt.

"I am going to ask one more time," this time she held the gun out and pointed it at Cindy. "Where are the kids?"

Cindy didn't answer. Ana looked around and then fired the gun.

It hit the larger man on Cindy's left in the arm. He was thrown backwards and landed on the floor unconscious.

Jack was staring from Ana to the man. He watched as Ana replaced the gun on the boy's head and then looked around at them.

"I am going to shoot him!" she said harshly. "If you do not…"

"One is dead," Cindy said suddenly.

Ana looked at Cindy with wide eyes. She felt her stomach drop.

"What?"

Cindy looked around at the Others around her and walked forward.

"The boy. He died a few weeks ago. He got sick after falling and breaking his leg," she spoke with no emotion in her voice. It was a contrast to what Ana had known her to be. She had been the kind flight attendant, the sweet woman who everyone liked and trusted. Then she had been gone.

"The girl?" Ana demanded, blinking hard again. "Emma?"

"She's here," Cindy said.

"What happened to you? What did they do to you?" Ana demanded, shoving the boy away and approaching Cindy. Cindy's eyes were cold and dark. "Cindy!"

Someone seized Ana's arm and she yanked it back, turning to face the gun but someone had grabbed her wrist and wrenched the gun away.

"Hey!" they had begun to grab at Jack too and they pulled Satine from him, flinging her towards where Hurley lay. She landed right beside him. "Ana!"

"Let go of me you filthy…" Sawyer was fighting them and winning, punching every one that came near him and lashing out. He lifted a nearby wrench and swung it hard, connecting with one of the bearded men's heads. A glaze covered his eyes and he fell to the ground. Several more jumped for Sawyer, trying to get his arms and one gave his bad arm a mighty twist.

Sawyer let out a howl that made Jack's skin crawl. He fell to his knees, one hand clutching his wounded shoulder. They began wrestling to get him up and he still fought although it was useless.

"SAYID!" Sawyer shouted, throwing himself towards the hallway. If the door was open, they might hear him. But he had only gotten a few feet out of the doorway and they were dragging him back. "LOCKE!"

"I said you could have the damn shelter!" Jack was wrestling with all his might but everytime he'd get one off him, they'd grab him again. It was a mob as they tried to hold Sawyer, Jack, and Ana at bay as they fought them. But two of them had gotten Ana on the ground kicking and shouting. Jack was still fighting, moving his way back towards the kitchen. Sawyer was in too much pain to fight properly and they finally got him down.

"What…"

One of them, a tall brunette with hair down to her waist had taken a syringe out of her pocket. She was approaching Ana who was watching her with wide, terrified eyes.

"No! Jack! Sawyer!" Ana was struggling as hard as she could, squirming but two men had her legs and two others had each of her arms. "NO!"

The woman pressed the end of the syringe into Ana's side and she screamed. Jack went to go forward but they held him back. He watched as Ana winced in pain as she slowly injected an orange colored fluid. Jack had absolutely no idea what it could be.

For a moment it was quiet as they watched Ana, who had stopped fighting but was looking around in fear. Then, very slowly, she lay her head down and closed her eyes.

"What was that?" Jack demanded. He tried not to think about how many other people that needle had been used on. "What was in that!"

They had Jack and Sawyer on their knees on either side of Ana. Jack was looking towards the doorway, waiting for someone to come in. Someone had to have heard the scuffle if the door had been open for Sawyer to get in. Where was everyone, why wasn't anyone coming?

"You will die," said the person Ana had been calling Cindy as she approached them, holding Ana's gun. She handed it to the bearded man holding Jack. "You all will."

The bearded man took the gun and held it to Jack's head. Then the gunshot rang out.

John and Sayid approached the door, scanning around for Sawyer. No one had returned with them but they had found Claire and made sure she was all right before returning.

"Sawyer!" John shouted, looking around. "Maybe he left."

"No, he wouldn't go without Satine," Sayid looked around curiously. "Something is not right."

John examined the area and found Sawyer's footprints heading off into the jungle. When he pointed this out to Sayid, Sayid's eyes widened.

"I know where he is going."

By the time John and Sayid had reached the hatch the sun was almost fully up and the rain was coming down harder. They saw the square entrance was open, the tarp and planks ripped away and knew what had happened.

"We have to go down there," John said, looking up at Sayid. "What if they're hurt?"

"We don't know how many of them are in there. We don't know if they are even alive," Sayid looked around. "We need guns."

"I collected all of the ones we used."

"Where are they?"

John beckoned Sayid to follow him.

Satine felt as though she'd been run over by fifteen trucks. She knew she was lying on the floor because of how cold and hard it felt beneath her. But what she couldn't remember was how she'd gotten there.

She was in too much pain to move much, but she turned her head and saw Hurley lying beside her. His eyes were closing and there was blood on his hair.

"Hurley?" she reached out and poked his shoulder. He didn't move. "Hurley?"

Oh god, is he dead, she asked herself frantically? Turning the other way she froze when she saw how many people were in the room. Scanning them, she found Jack and Sawyer kneeling in the middle of a group of them. Ana-Lucia was being held down on the floor between them. A woman stood above Ana holding a needle. Carefully she bent down and injected her.

No, she thought desperately. They can't die, this can't be it. Why didn't they give up the hatch, why did they have to fight? Carefully she was able to turn over onto her stomach. It hurt beyond pain, it was like mortal agony. If she had ever known hell, this was it. But she couldn't let them die.

She knew she could possibly get to her knees but doubted her ability to walk. Leaning on Hurley, who she judged was still alive due to the fact he was breathing, she tried to push herself up. No one was watching her, all eyes were on Ana who was beginning to stop moving and lie still. As Satine pushed herself up, she felt something hard. Looking down she saw a gun sticking out of Hurley's pocket. Reaching down she pulled it out.

"You will die," said the voice across the room. Satine fumbled with the gun, her hands trembling horribly. She felt dizzy and weak, barely seeing as she tried to find the safety and turn it off. The man had a gun to Jack's head. Another man was pointing one at Sawyer. She found the safety and turned it off, raising the gun and firing.

Sayid and John froze. Sayid had been about to lower himself down the hatch when they had heard the gunshot. They looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Don't come down until I shout," Sayid ordered. "If you don't hear anything, go get others."

John nodded as Sayid began lowering himself down. He reached halfway and the rope stopped. It had been tied to a tree and he had supposed Sawyer had used it to get down. Now he had to jump without knowing exactly how far down it went.

Sayid slid out of the rope and hung from it by one arm. Bracing himself, he let go and fell the few feet down to the bottom where he bent his knees. The water splashed up around him and he didn't move, listening to see if anyone had heard him.

Slowly he stepped out into the hallway. The light at the end was moving, which meant people were moving around the main living area. Sayid slowly passed the door to the outside. He didn't dare try to unlock it and alert them to his presence. He cocked his gun, holding it out in front of him.

Reaching the doorway he leaned against the wall and waited, listening. There was the sound of heavy breathing and silence.

Sticking his head around the corner, Sayid could see someone lying on the floor with a bullet hole in his head. From where he stood, Sayid couldn't see who it was, what clothes they were wearing or the face. His heart seemed to stop as he realized it could be Jack, the hair was short enough.

He looked to the left and saw Satine lying near Hurley on the floor. Walt was lying motionless on the couch. Sawyer knelt with his back to Sayid with someone still holding a gun to his head. Jack was no where to be seen, unless that was him on the floor. Sayid also spotted Ana lying there, not moving.

Pulling back, Sayid took off down the hall again, this time going faster than what was wise. He reached the bottom of the shaft and looked up into the falling rain where he could see the shadow of John leaning over the opening.

"HURRY!" Sayid whispered. "Bring your gun!"


	32. Chapter 32: Citadel

A hand had reached up and yanked Satine so hard down to the floor that for a moment she almost was knocked out by the wave of pain rushing through her. Hurley had seized her arm and pulled her down after the man holding the gun to Sawyer's head had pointed it at her.

"Get out of here!" Jack shouted as someone stepped over the dead body on the floor and grabbed him, picking up the gun on the floor. "Satine!"

"Stop!" Satine shouted as she struggled to stand again. Hurley was awake and rolled over, trying to get to his feet shakily. "Stop!"

The one holding onto Jack turned and pointed the gun at her. Sawyer's eyes widened. For a moment Satine looked at him, and for a moment it was just them, looking at each other.

"You need me," she said shakily to them. "Take me."

"No! Satine…" Jack began.

"You wanted this shelter, you have it. If you want to take the rest of them you're going to need me," she said, holding onto the counter for support. Hurley had sat down in one of the chairs, holding his head. "Let them all go and I'll help you get the other ones."

Jack and Sawyer exchanged a look. The two Others that held onto them were looking at Satine as though unsure of what to do. Then they looked down at Jack and Sawyer and backed up, their guns pointed at them.

"Get out, then," said the one behind Sawyer.

Jack and Sawyer hurried to stand but instead of turning to the door, Sawyer rushed over to Satine and seized her shoulders, looking hard at her.

"Kid, you don't have to do this. We can fight them. Don't do this," he pleaded with her, holding her tightly, almost shaking her as he spoke. He could feel her trembling, feel how warm she was and see how faint she looked. She was pale and wavered on her feet. But he wanted to take her and run, he wanted to lift her off her feet and get out of there.

"Sawyer," she trembled as she spoke, her voice wavering as she looked at him. "It's the only way you'll survive."

"I don't have to survive this," he begged. He felt like every moment was another closer to the end. "Don't do this…"

Someone had grabbed Sawyer by the arm and pulled him back but he shoved them off and grabbed her.

"Don't do this, kid!" Sawyer pleaded. She had begun to cry, standing there watching him. "Kid!"

They were trying to get them out. Jack struggled.

"No! Kate!"

He broke away from them, running across the room and leaping over the table, skidding around the corner into the computer room. It was then that the alarm sounded.

He had to type in the code. But once they were gone, how would the Others know how to do it? He looked from the armory door to the computer and sprinted to the keyboard, typing in the numbers, fumbling. He hit execute and the ringing stopped, the numbers flipping back to 108.

Grabbing the handle of the armory door he yanked hard and pulled it open. Inside was dark as he felt along the wall for the switch. Flicking it on, he saw Kate lying on a thin blanket, facing the wall.

"Kate," he gasped, bending beside her and turning her over. "Kate are you…"

Gunshots rang out from the main area.

It had taken a while for John to descend and in that time they had heard arguing. When John was finally down they hurried down the hall and to the door.

Sawyer was talking, pleading with Satine. They could hear it but didn't dare stick their heads around the corner. Looking at each other they waited. Then they heard Jack shout for Kate and scuffling.

This was their chance. Jumping into the doorway they held their guns up, Sayid holding two, one in each hand. The Others all turned to face him, the ones holding Sawyer let him go and he scrambled to stand. Hurley remained where he sat, looking dazed and holding his head.

"NOBODY MOVE!" Sayid shouted. On the floor below him was Ana. He carefully bent, guns still aimed around him and felt her wrist. She was alive. "If you move I will shoot you!"

"Sayid," Satine had spoken. Sawyer had just gotten to her and pulled her away, back from the Others. "Sayid, don't!"

"Where is Jack?" John demanded, remaining in the doorway, his rifle cocked.

"He went for Kate," Sawyer said, one hand clinging tightly to Satine's upper arm. She was shaking and he was actually keeping her standing. "She's in the armory."

"Jack" Sayid went to the door to the computer room. "Are you in there?"

Jack appeared with Kate. Her arm was over his neck but she was conscious, struggling to walk as he supported her. She looked pale and blood soaked her almost entire left side.

"All of you over there!" Sayid pointed to the opposite wall. "Now!"

Jack limped with Kate over to the doorway where Sayid stood. Sawyer held Satine tightly and went over near them also.

"Hurley, can you stand?" Jack panted from behind Sayid.

"I don't know," Hurley was still holding his head, looking dazed. "Man, my head."

"Try to stand," Jack said strongly. "Try to…"

But someone had hit him hard from behind, sending him falling sideways into the wall, Kate falling with him. She cried out in pain as she landed on her wound. Sayid went to spin around but got knocked hard in the face, causing him to fall backwards.

Sawyer threw Satine behind the counter, holding up the gun and firing. She landed hard on her side and looked up in time to see three of the Others rushing towards Sawyer. They caught him off guard and one tackled him into the cabinets. Satine scrambled back as they fell to the floor wrestling. One of the Others seized her arm but she spun and threw a hard punch. Another had taken hold of her hair and was pulling her backwards.

But as this happened Satine could see Sawyer was losing the fight with the larger man badly. He was punching Sawyer repeatedly in the face and his mouth was now bleeding. Satine was able to turn around and get the woman to let go of her hair with a sharp kick to her ribs. Spinning to face Sawyer, she saw they were still wrestling, moving across the floor. Gunshots rang out everywhere. Jack was hiding in the hall, firing at the others who had guns that were shielding themselves behind the wall to the bedroom, firing at each other blindly. Satine turned back and found the man now had hold of Sawyer's throat.

"Get off him!" she shrieked, jumping forward and grabbing the mans arm, trying to wrench it away. "Stop!"

He threw his elbow back, catching her in the chest. She had the wind knocked out of her as she fell back, hitting her head on the counter. A gunshot richoched off the floor nearby, missing her foot by inches. Looking dizzily, she could see Sawyer's face was blue. He was barely struggling, his mouth hanging open, his eyes bugging as he struggled to breathe.

She raised herself up as best she could. Her legs were shaking terribly. Feeling around she seized the first thing she laid her hands on.

Moving forward she plunged the knife into the side of the man, who immediately let go of Sawyer and reached down to yank the long knife. For a moment Satine expected him to attack her, because he held it up, looking at it as blood dripped from it to the tile floor. Then he gave what sounded like a faint cry and fell sideways into the wall.

Pushing him off Sawyer, Satine shook him hard. The gunshots were still ringing out and she could hear Jack shouting for Sawyer, who wasn't moving. His eyes were closed. She put her head to his chest and realized he wasn't breathing.

She'd studied nursing for a short time before she dropped out of college. She hadn't learned much except how to dress a wound. But she had learned CPR from high school, and from Jack.

Bending, she opened his mouth and held his nose shut. She breathed hard into his mouth and then started doing compressions. She did this several times and Sawyer still hadn't begun to breathe. She was weak and completely drained. Her fever was finally getting to her and she sank back dismally, her head spinning and her stomach feeling sick. She knew she was going to faint.

Slowly she lay down beside Sawyer on the cold floor. His face was a pale white. She reached out a hand and took his.

"Don't die," she pleaded, trying to stay conscious. "Please, Sawyer. Don't die."

Then her eyes closed.

When the gunshots had rung out, Hurley dove behind the couch, yanking the unconscious Walt off the couch and down there with him. Shots were going off everywhere and people were fighting. Hurley could hear scuffles and footsteps and people running up the hallway towards the hatch door. Gunshots ricochet off the floor and hit the couch. For a long time there was shooting and the sounds of empty shells hitting the floor, people falling and shouts and curses. It went on for a long time, possibly longer than five minutes. Then there was silence.

Slowly, Hurley rose from behind the couch. He only poked his eyes out at first and he had to focus them, his headache making it hard to see. He could see a lot of people lying on the ground, and he could see blood on the walls. Rising up more, he saw Jack and Kate weren't where they'd been when Jack had been shooting from behind the door.

Looking down, Hurley saw Walt was still unconscious. Stepping out from behind the couch, he could see that almost all of the Others lay dead on the floor. But he knew it wasn't all of them. There were more, but where were they?

Going back behind the couch, Hurley pulled Walt up and dragged him out. He had to get Walt at least out of the hatch. Carefully he dragged the boy across the floor. At the doorway to the hall, he poked his head out. It was dark but no one appeared to be there. He could see the door from where he was, and pulled Walt out into the hall.

A hand reached up and grabbed Hurley, causing him to shout in fright.

"It's okay!" Jack said breathlessly. "It's me."

Looking down, his eyes adjusting to the darkness of the hall (a light bulb above had been blown out by a stray bullet) Hurley could see Jack leaning against the wall. Kate was beside him, and she was looking terrified.

"Where's Sawyer?" Jack asked.

"What happened, man?" Hurley asked, leaving Walt for a moment. "Dude, who hit you?"

"One of the Others snuck around. He tried to get me but Sayid and John…"

"Where are they?" Kate hissed, looking around the hall.

"There's like no one inside," Hurley said. "We should look for them."

"No! Take Walt outside. Bring him as far as you can, the beach and if Claire is still there leave him with her. Don't come back here, go follow those who have moved and tell them it's not safe, that they should go to the caves. Explain what happened. How's your head?" Jack asked, speaking all in one breath.

"It's…uh, killing me but I can do it," Hurley bent back down and lifted Walt by the shoulders. "Okay. Gotcha."

Jack nodded before standing. He reached down and helped Kate to stand. She leaned heavily on the wall.

"I'm bringing you outside," he said to her, putting his arm around her.

"No!" she demanded. "No, I want to help."

"You can't. If you keep standing on your leg, it'll open the wound again," he said angrily. He needed to go in and make sure Sawyer, John, and Sayid were okay. In his mind he realized if they were, they would have come back by now. "Kate…"

"Jack, go!" she insisted, pushing him towards the room.

One of the Others that had been shot by one of Jack's bullets lay across the threshold. The other whom had held a gun to his head lay beside him. In the doorway to the bedroom was another one, but he was still alive.

"Sawyer?" Jack shouted.

He came around the counter and gasped. Both Satine and Sawyer lay unconscious on the kitchen floor. But while Satine looked like she had simply passed out, Sawyer was a strange shade of blue.

"KATE!" Jack shouted. "GET OVER HERE!"

He began doing CPR, working as hard as he could. Kate made her way slowly over to the counter and gasped.

"Oh my god. Jack," she sounded sick. "Oh god."

"Where are Locke and Sayid?" Jack demanded, pressing hard on Sawyer's chest.

"Jack. Is he dead?" Kate was crying, leaning heavily on the counter. "Oh god, Jack. Is he dead?"

"Sawyer, come on, man," Jack said quietly as he continued to do CPR. "Please. Dude, don't do this."

"Jack?" Sayid had appeared out of nowhere. "What…"

"Come on!" Jack continued, working even harder. He looked almost ready to break Sawyer's ribs. "COME ON!"

"Jack," Sayid approached Jack from behind, looking grim. He had blood on his shirt and his gun in his hand. "Stop. He's dead."

"NO HE'S NOT," Jack kept going, looking pale and feeling dizzy from blowing so much air. "No. No, no one else is dying."

"Ana-Lucia," Kate had turned. Jack couldn't see, but he guessed Ana-Lucia had come out of the place where Jack had shoved her, out of the way of the flying bullets.

For a long time they watched Jack work, and for a long time they waited. Jack could see the marks on Sawyer's neck, he could see that Sawyer was now almost sheet white. His inner doctor told him that in another fifteen minutes there would be brain damage if Sawyer ever did awake. But Jack kept working, because he could see Satine lying on the floor there. She was alive, and she would live. But if she lived and Sawyer died, it just couldn't happen.

"STOP!" Sayid had pulled Jack back, away from Sawyer. "Stop!"

Jack sat on the floor and turned away.

"John is in the other room. One of them clubbed him over the head. I think you should come," Sayid said quietly as Jack reached over and pulled Satine towards him. Her hand was locked in Sawyer's, keeping her from moving more than arms length from him. Jack carefully disconnected their hands and lifted Satine, standing up himself and walking over to the couch, lying her on it. He looked at her for a moment, and then splashed water on his face from a nearby broken water bottle. She stirred for a moment and then settled.

"She's okay," Jack spoke in a tight voice. Kate was leaning against the wall beside the entrance to the hall. She had her face in her hands. The silence in the room was unbearable. Sayid couldn't take his eyes off Sawyer, who still lay motionless.

Ana had come out of the hall, looking dizzy.

"What did they give me?" she asked groggily, looking around at them.

"It was some kind of sedative but she didn't give it all to you. It knocked you out pretty deep," Jack concluded, looking her over. "I think you're okay."

Moving past her, Jack walked into the back where Sayid said John was. All of the remaining Others were dead, killed by gunfire. But the ones Sayid and John had chased had escaped, although it had only been a few women and one teenager.

Kate remained leaning against the wall, her hands over her face. She couldn't get the image out of her head, the horrible sight of Sawyer lying there. She knew if she moved she'd have to walk past that counter, past where he lay. Somehow, Kate hated Satine for being there when Sawyer died. She hated Satine for being the last person he had seen. But then again, she hated herself for thinking that.

Turning around, she limped slowly towards the room where Jack had gone. Ana was standing in the middle of the main area, looking confused. When she saw Kate limping, she hurried over and put her arm around her shoulder. Kate didn't resist and let Ana lead her away.

Opening her eyes slowly, Satine knew it had been some time since she'd passed out. Looking around, she saw many more dead bodies than she remembered. Slowly she sat up, feeling even sicker than before. Leaning hard against the arm of the couch she stood shakily.

Slowly she headed towards where she heard voices in the back. It sounded like Jack and Kate were talking loudly. As she passed the counter, she stopped.

Sawyer lay there, motionless, his arms and legs splayed out. She knew he was dead from just looking at him. Closing her eyes for a moment, the memory stored in her mind. Then she continued down the hall.


	33. Chapter 33: Wrong

(To clear up a question and explain a bit. Kate was in the armory, as someone had said they had moved her when the hysteria broke out. Because she was still unconscious. When the Others came out and attacked Jack and Sawyer, they were going to kill them but didnt and Jack went and got Kate out of the armory where she had woken up. She's injured. Hope that clears that up. Dont be afraid to ask questions I know that my story can get confusing.)

"What about those that got away?" Kate whispered. She was sitting in the rolling chair in front of the computer.

"You said it was just some women?" Jack asked Sayid.

"Yes. Maybe three women, a younger boy, and one older male. But we have no idea if there are more," Sayid looked down at Jack, who was bandaging a cut on John's head from getting hit. John was awake, sitting against the wall, looking bleary.

"Well, we can't worry about that now. We need to use this time to barricade the entrances to this hatch and get everyone to a safe place. If there are more of them, they'll come," Jack finished and put his things away, standing. He looked around at them. No one spoke, the silence heavy among them. There was shuffling in the hallway and they all turned. For a moment Kate expected to see Sawyer come striding in, sweeping his hair out of his face and giving them a grin, happy that he'd gotten them all so upset. But it was only Satine, leaning heavily on the wall as she made her way inside.

Her eyes were wide and blank as she stared around at them. Jack felt slightly repulsed seeing her. Perhaps he associated her living with Sawyer dying. Jack said nothing to her as he walked past her back down the hall. Sayid, John, and Kate just stared.

"He's dead?" Satine whispered quietly, leaning hard on the wall, breathing heavily. Kate could see her legs shaking and suddenly, she felt sorry for the girl. Satine had sacrificed herself not once but twice for them. She had done everything in her power to keep them safe, and had gotten injured for it. She'd lost the person she was closest to in the world, and then the next person whom she'd found a bond with. Somehow, Kate could relate.

Satine wavered dangerously and Sayid rushed forward. He supported her carefully and led her away down the hall leaving Kate and John alone. John was looking down at his hands sadly.

"I can't believe it," Kate whispered quietly, her throat tight. "I can't believe he's really gone."

"I can," John said boldly, looking up at her from his place sitting on the floor against the wall. Kate looked over the computer desk at him. "I think it's the way Sawyer would have gone anyway."

"He didn't deserve that," Kate said in a low, rumbling voice. Tears had begun to leak from her eyes and she was shaking. "He didn't deserve to die at the hands of someone like that."

"He was saving Satine," John whispered, sighing deeply. "He would have wanted to die a hero."

"Sawyer was no hero," said Kate, looking down at her hands and letting tears fall.

"Yes he was. In his own way he was."

John stood heavily, leaning against the wall for a moment waiting for the lightheadedness to pass. Then he walked over to Kate and helped her stand.

"John," Kate stopped between standing and sitting. John helped her sit back down. She was shaking and looked down, her face crumpled. "He's gone…"

Putting her hands over her face she began to cry. John stood there for a moment and then bent, kneeling before her. He put a hand on her wrist and pulled it away from her face.

"I didn't get to say goodbye," she sobbed. "I didn't…"

"Then let's go say goodbye," he said gently to her, standing again. He helped her up and put an arm around her waist to support her. She let him lead her down the hall.

Jack was walking fast and hard through the jungle, not watching where he was going, not caring if he was going in the complete opposite direction. He got to a point where he could see the beach and turned left, walking parallel to the ocean. His heart was pounding so hard in his chest it was beating in his ears. His temples throbbed with pain as he stomped through the jungle.

He came out of the jungle and onto the beach, continuing to walk until he got to the waters edge. He stopped when the waves touched his shoes and he just stared.

All the anger inside of him was burning, churning around him like the ocean. It was so bad, so desperately needing to be released that he almost wanted to drown himself to get away from it. He could see himself just falling into the water and not bothering to stay afloat. It seemed the best idea for now.

"Jack?" Hurley was coming down the beach. Unbeknownst to both of them it was the second time Hurley had kept Jack from jumping. "Dude, you're okay!"

"Yeah," Jack turned to face Hurley who could read it the minute he looked into Jack's eyes.

"Who?" Hurley said quietly, suddenly drawing into himself.

"Sawyer," said Jack numbly, the anger ebbing away in spite of himself.

Hurley nodded, understanding and for a moment just stood there watching as Jack looked anywhere but at him.

"We should bury him today," Jack said to Hurley who looked surprised. "I think we all need to."

"Um, okay," Hurley seemed confused.

"Can you do that for me?" Jack approached Hurley and put a hand on his shoulder. Jack looked exhausted. "Please?"

Hurley knew Jack had had enough. There was no way Jack could dig one more grave, one more cross above a shallow grave. Another life he couldn't save, another failure flashing before his eyes.

Nodding, Hurley gave Jack a pat on the back.

"I'll do it," he said. "We'll have a funeral in the morning."

Jack thanked Hurley and headed off.

Kate had remained leaning against the doorframe as Locke moved Sawyer over to the couch where Satine had lay before. She and Jack had disappeared.

Carefully Locke lay Sawyer on the couch and fixed him so he was lying quite naturally. As Locke did so, he noticed blood on the side of Sawyer's shirt. But ignored it and turned around.

Kate limped towards the couch and then got to her knees beside it. John waited a moment and then left.

Carefully she brushed back Sawyer's hair from his pale forehead. Her heart was shattering, her insides burning. She couldn't accept it, it wasn't sinking in that he was gone. That he'd never call her "freckles" again, that his snide remarks would never fill a room with both animosity and laughter. Sawyer was gone.

She lowered her head, putting her hands on his chest. For a long time she remained like this, not crying but just accepting it, letting it sink in. She looked up to find Sayid standing over her.

He bent gently and did the sign of the cross over Sawyer before turning to Kate.

"When Shannon died, I didn't accept it right away," he said quietly, his eyes on Sawyer's blank face. "I still haven't accepted it."

"It never stops hurting, does it," she whispered to him, looking at him with sad eyes.

"No, it doesn't."

Jack walked so far he knew it would be dark by the time he got back. He wondered if Hurley had begun digging yet, or was having someone else do it while he carried Sawyer. Shaking this thought from his head, Jack kept walking down the beach, his mind reeling.

Sawyer was dead, and they needed to find a way to barricade the shelter so no one else could get in. He was planning on possibly asking Locke if they could switch the outside airlock door with the one on the armory. Having a combination would seem to be the safest way to protect the hatch. But then again, someone could always hear it, or look over someone's shoulder. No matter how he thought of it, Jack couldn't think of a way to make it completely safe.

Perhaps there was no safe. Maybe they weren't meant to survive. Any kind of imminent rescue seemed like a distant dream. No one talked of it anymore, and no one spoke of "when they got back". The only person who spoke about it was Claire and Jack supposed she did it for the sake of her baby, and hoping it wouldn't have to grow up in a place like this.

Jack reached a part of the beach he'd never seen before. The sun was setting and he saw in the last rays of light that the beach here looked stirred up. Focusing his eyes in the impending darkness, he saw remnants of what looked like a camp were all over the beach. Fallen tents, some broken coconuts and old fruit skins were everywhere. The carcass of a large boar sat rotting in the sun, birds pecking at it. Jack walked slowly among this. This was probably where they had spent the night before the explosion.

He was halfway through the remnants when he stopped. Glass had crunched under his left foot. Stepping back, he looked down and saw what looked like many broken glass vials of medicine. They were old fashioned, the labels yellowing and with large letters. They were smashed, looking as though someone had either fallen on them or dropped them. They were pouring out of a woven bag and Jack lifted the back carefully and was shocked to see tons of broken syringes and needles inside. They had been destroyed by whatever had destroyed the vials.

Using a stick, Jack sifted through the vials until he came across one that had only the top broken off. Lifting it, he held it up, trying to read it.

The name was long and hard to read but it was definitely a tranquilizer. Jack read it several times and then read the side of the bottle.

"_Warning:_ _Tranquilizers. Do not operate heavy machinery. Supervision advised_. _Take as prescribed. Overdose may cause coma, asphyxiation, or death."_

Slowly, Jack rose. He knew that something wasn't right. No one dies from being strangled for only a few moments. Sawyer wasn't dead, he was in an overdose coma. That's why he didn't wake up.

Dropping the bottle, Jack took off at top speed down the beach, praying Hurley hadn't done as he was told.

Kate stood aside as Hurley and John carried Sawyer through the woods. She followed at a slow pace, limping along with the help of Sayid. They reached the beach and headed up the smaller hill to where Shannon and Boone were buried. For a moment as they reached the top and Kate saw the shallow grave Hurley had dug, she wondered if she would be buried here eventually, beside Sawyer.

"Did you want to say anything?" Sayid asked Kate quietly as Hurley and John let the makeshift stretcher down. "We'll have a better funeral in the morning when the entire group returns."

Shaking her head, Kate felt numb. There was the sound of movement and they turned to see Satine walking slowly and weakly towards them. She looked terrible and they all knew she should be lying down. But she walked over beside Kate and slowly sat down on the tall pile of sand.

"He saved me," she whispered, looking around at them and then down at Sawyer. In the moonlight it looked like he could have been sleeping. "He…was protecting me."

Kate turned away. She couldn't watch this. Her heart was shattering. It was all happening too fast. She didn't know why Jack wanted Sawyer buried so fast, perhaps to help them move on quicker. But this just seemed cruel.

Hurley and Sayid lifted the stretcher.

Jack was running so hard and fast he knew he wouldn't make it all the way to the camp without passing out. He was crashing through the dark jungle, not paying attention to anything except moving as fast as he could. He was sure he was heading towards the beach but had no idea on which side they would bury Sawyer.

For a moment they stood with Sawyer suspended between them and Kate walked over and looked over Sawyer. She lowered a hand and put it on his hand, which lay on his chest. Then she bent and kissed his forehead.

Satine got up shakily and walked slowly over. She stood beside Kate and just looked down at Sawyer. And then she put a hand to her lips, kissed her fingertips, and lay it gently on Sawyer's heart.

Shaking terribly, Satine backed up and John caught her before she fell. She was still conscious but could barely hold herself up.

Jack reached the beach and realized he was farther down than he expected. Taking off, he flew up the shore, running on the sand nearer to the water because it was more solid. The water crashed to his left as he ran so hard that his legs were burning.

Slowly, Sayid and Hurley lowered the stretcher into the shallow hole. Kate was crying, leaning heavily on a tree beside her. Satine stood in front of John who was holding her steady. She wasn't crying, just watching.

They moved Sawyer off of the stretcher and lifted the now empty stretcher out. They lay it aside and then Sayid picked up the makeshift shovel.

"May he rest in peace," he said, before draping a blanket over Sawyer. Then he lifted the shovel and began piling in the dirt at a fast pace.

Jack fell, landing hard. His legs felt weak, as though they were not going to work. Holding his breath he lifted himself up and kept going. He couldn't run, his heart was beating so hard he was sure it would stop. Taking one last deep breath he tried to sprint, coming around the trees. He could see up on the hill four figures standing around, one very small one.

"KATE! SAYID!" Jack shouted.

He was too late, he thought horribly. He could see Sayid moving, putting the dirt in the shallow grave. Sawyer will have suffocated by now. Please, Jack begged. He practically crawled the last few yards and reaching the hill he climbed to the top, just as Sayid lay his shovel down.

The four of them turned to look at him.

"He's not dead," Jack gasped, holding his chest.


	34. Chapter 34: Reunited

Jack thought Sayid had laid down the shovel because he was done, but he had done it because it had broken on a rock. Jack looked down and saw they had placed a blanket over Sawyer, and he was barely buried under an inch of dirt.

"What do you mean, Jack?" Kate said alarmingly as Jack jumped down into the hole and ripped the blanket off Sawyer. Dirt flew up and Jack bent, pressing his ear against Sawyer's mouth and then his chest.

"They've been using tranquilizers to get the people they take to stay with them, or they'd just run off. It's what they gave Ana-Lucia. If you get the right amount, it only makes you docile but an overdose puts you in a hibernation-type coma," Jack was lifting Sawyer up and Sayid jumped down to help. "He's not dead."

"We almost buried him," Satine wavered dangerously and John held her shoulders.

"I…" Kate was shocked, her face pale as a ghost. The sun was high in the sky, beating down on them. Distantly, she swore she could hear voices. It was the others, coming back after the warning.

"I need Shannon's old inhalers," Jack demanded of Sayid, who gave him a wide-eyed look. "The adrenaline in them will wake him up and get his heart beating faster."

Sayid looked confused, as though for a moment forgetting whom Shannon ever was. Then he nodded and took off running down the beach towards his tent, where he had never removed Shannon's belongings.

"Jack," Kate was leaning heavily on the tree, bending over Jack. "Is…"

"Kate, I need that stretcher. We have to get him back to the hatch," Jack demanded. John left Satine's side for a moment and grabbed the stretcher, laying it beside Sawyer. John hadn't said a word, staring shocked at Sawyer.

Sayid was running down the beach towards them as Jack and John finally got Sawyer on the stretcher. Hurley put an arm around Kate to help her.

"We have to hurry," Jack gasped. "I can't tell what state he's in, everything is too faint to read. We need to get this into him."

"How?" Satine asked.

Jack didn't answer and he and John set off down the beach towards the path to the hatch. Hurley and Kate hurried behind them, and then Sayid and Satine. Sayid held Satine's arm, helping her along. She didn't look good at all, possibly worse than when she was recovering.

Jack and John reached the hatch and flew inside. There was no one in there, the dead bodies had been cleared. They raced Sawyer over to the counter. With one sweep, Jack shoved everything off it including several pots and pans. They went clattering and banging to the floor. Moments later, Hurley and Kate came in and Hurley brought Kate to the counter where she sat on a stood, grimacing and grinding her teeth. The pain killer Jack had given her was wearing off.

Satine and Sayid came in next but Satine didn't look well anymore. She was extremely pale and breathing heavily. She sat down on the couch and put her face in her hands. Sayid went to join Jack at the counter.

"My leather bag," Jack ran into the side room and emerged with the bag in tow, rummaging through it. He pulled out the few sterile syringes he had. He'd found them in an abandoned suitcase in an emergency insulin pack. He had held onto them for good reason. "Give me the inhalers."

Sayid handed them over with a look that almost was painful. As though he were giving up Shannon, admitting she was gone and that they were needed for something else.

Very carefully, Jack dismantled the inhaler, cracking the outer casing on the counter and then using the syringe to suck out the medicine. Kate's eyes were on Sawyer, who looked dead. He was covered in dirt, and pale as a sheet. She seriously doubted what Jack had said.

Carefully he inserted the needle in Sawyers arm. When he finished, he pulled it out and quickly wrapped the empty syringe in a towel, setting it aside.

They waited, just watching Sawyer. Jack listened to Sawyer's chest several times, and looked at his eyes.

"How do you know if it's working?" Satine whispered, now standing beside Jack.

"He should wake up. I gave him a fair amount. It'll jump start his heart again to get it beating regularly," Jack whispered. He was watching Sawyer intently.

"What if he really is dead," Sayid spoke up, looking grim.

There was silence as they waited. Jack felt that sinking feeling once again, the same feeling he'd felt when he'd admitted Sawyer was dead and stopped trying to save him.

Satine had been standing beside Jack, holding onto his arm. Suddenly, she gasped.

Her hand pointed to Sawyer's hand, inside of which he was holding Satine's locket. His hand had suddenly tightened around it.

"Let's get him to the couch," Jack said, taking Sawyer's shoulders. He was trying to hide his smile of relief as he and Sayid carried Sawyer to the couch where they propped him up slightly.

Kate limped over and stood at the end of the couch, just watching and waiting. Satine had moved even more slowly, and kneeled beside Sawyer. Jack remained standing.

Very slowly Sawyer began to move. First it was his chest that began rising and falling deeply. Then he started to frown, creasing his brow. They all waited with baited breath and finally he opened his eyes.

Satine had been wavering on her knees and leaned forward when this happened, hands over her face. Sawyer looked around at them confusedly.

"Why am I covered in dirt?" he said groggily, looking down. "Kid? You okay?"

Sitting up, Satine nodded. She looked faint and Jack suddenly began to worry about her. She was still on the antibiotics but everything had had happened could be counteracting it.

"What happened?" Sawyer asked, sitting up and putting his feet on the floor. He blinked hard, feeling very dizzy.

"Don't try to stand," Jack said quietly. They were all quiet, completely shocked and relieved. No one was sure what to say. "You were in a coma."

"Coma?" Sawyer looked around at them and then put a hand to his very red and raw throat. "What…"

"You were given an overdose of a tranquilizer. It put you into a coma. He did it when he was strangling you so we thought you had been strangled to death," Jack explained.

Sawyer was putting two and two together and seemed to think hard. He looked around at them and then down at the dirt on his clothes.

"You buried me," he said numbly, looking down and away. "Jesus Christ, you buried me."

"No," Kate was falling apart at the end of the couch. Her face was beat red. "No, we were going to but…"

"Wait," Sawyer went to stand and wavered, falling back to a sitting position on the couch, holding his head.

"You're having a reaction to the adrenaline. You need to rest," Jack said, hurrying to get a glass of water.

"I want to be alone," Sawyer grumbled as Jack handed him the water.

"I have to make sure your heart rate stays…"

"Get out!" Sawyer bellowed.

All of them just watched confusedly as Sawyer sat there, sipping his water and looking away. Carefully, Jack helped Kate limp from the room. Sayid and John went to leave but John went to help Satine up, but she waved him away. He looked from Satine to Sawyer and left, Hurley behind him.

"What happened," Sawyer said, not looking at Satine but past her at the counter.

"You were strangled and I guess when he strangled you, he injected you," she said quietly. She didn't feel well at all. "We thought you were dead."

Sawyer didn't speak, he just looked straight ahead, his face blank. Then he turned to her.

"Did anyone care?" he whispered.

Satine gave him a weak smile.

"Kate was a mess," she laughed, wiping her eyes. "Jack was so mad he went running off for miles."

"Yeah, sounds like Jack," Sawyer looked around the hatch. "Did you care?"

Satine just looked at him.

"Of course," she said gently. "I was torn apart."

Jack helped Kate out of the hatch and towards the caves. Neither said anything as they walked. Kate was grunting, grinding her teeth hard as she walked. Her wound was beginning to ache and throb. She knew Jack knew, and she knew he had painkillers in his bag but she wondered if he'd give them to her.

They reached the caves and were shocked to see everyone there. Sayid and John came out from the jungle and looked shocked at how many people were crowded in and around the caves.

"Jack!" Charlie came rushing up to them. "You're alright, man! Kate?"

"She's fine," Jack said quickly, helping her to sit down beside Claire. Kate felt slightly angry that he assumed this when she was actually in a lot of pain. "Everyone came back?"

"Yeah," Charlie looked around. "Hurley told us you said it wasn't safe."

Everyone was quiet, listening to see if Jack would confirm or deny it.

"Someone heard that someone died," said Libby quietly from her place beside Hurley who had just arrived. "Was it Sawyer? Or Satine?"

"No, they're both fine," Jack took a deep breath. He was exhausted. "I think we can relax for now. We've all been through a lot. You can set up on the beach again but stick close together. We're…we're safe now."

No one believed him and it was obvious. What Hurley had said was true, everyone now doubted Jack's leadership. They were looking from Jack to John and to Sayid with skeptical looks. It was obvious they were through listening to them.

There was the sound of someone talking and everyone turned to see Michael walking out of the jungle with Walt beside him. Walt looked sickly and Michael was holding him up. Michael looked slowly at Jack, his eyes glazed.

"Help him," was all Michael said.

Helping Walt into the hatch, Jack sat him up on the counter to look him over. Satine and Sawyer were gone.

"How do you feel?" Jack asked the boy,


	35. Chapter 35: Hope and Faith

Jack was almost done cleaning up the hatch. He hadn't slept and spent the entire night cleaning up the blood, straightening things out and fixing everything. He wanted it to get back to normal so no one would be afraid to go down there.

In truth, Jack was terrified at how things would be from now on. The others had openly admitted that they don't trust him anymore. John had felt it too. And now they had all gone back to live in the camp, and Jack didn't know how orderly it would be. Sawyer didn't have all the guns anymore. He had to give them up when everyone in the army needed a gun. He still had a few. But everyone had left their guns in the hatch, yet they didn't have a specific count did they? Who still had a gun and what would happen if they used it?

It was going to become chaos, something Jack had fought to keep away since they first landed. With forty strangers, everyone from different parts of life, it was guaranteed there would be hostility. Things had been okay because there had been some kind of order. Jack had never appointed himself in charge, it had just been assumed. Now he had this job hanging over his head like a dark cloud. No one would listen to him, things would become mayhem and people would die.

Jack was scared, more scared than he'd ever been before. He finished putting all the luggage still down there in a pile in the corner and sat down on a chair. He was exhausted, having not slept in two weeks. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so tired.

It was just dawn and Kate had come limping in, grinding her teeth hard. She could barely put weight on the injured leg. When she reached the main area she limped across it, looking for Jack. She was about to yell out for him when she saw him sleeping with his head back, sitting straight up in a chair.

She felt terrible waking him and asking for a painkiller. Looking around, she spotted his leather bag and went over to it, painfully bending and looking inside. It was packed with medicine bottles and all types of prescriptions. She finally found the bottle at the bottom and was about to open it when a voice erupted behind her.

"Give them to me," Jack was saying groggily. He was sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "I need to break one in half for you."

Kate obeyed, standing painfully and dragging herself over to Jack. She fell into the chair across from him and breathed heavily, her eyes closed.

"It hurts?" he asked quietly, pouring out a pill and putting the cap back on. She nodded, eyes still closed. "This should help but we can't give you too many, you'll build up a resistance."

"Thanks," she took it from him and swallowed it dry. He raised his eyebrows at her and she just smiled. "So how are you doing?"

"I'm okay," he nodded, widening his eyes as though to keep them open. "Just tired."

"When was the last time you slept?" she asked, looking around. "Did you do this yourself?"

"I had to. No one would touch the blood or the people in here," he looked down.

"Where did you bury them?" she asked.

"I didn't yet, I couldn't do it myself. I left them in the jungle. Later I'll have Sayid and John help me," he sighed and she could see how worried he was.

"They're just scared," she reassured him, knowing that he was thinking about the others not trusting him anymore. "They were just through something that could possibly be worse than the plane crash. They'll come around."

"To what? I never wanted to be the leader. I didn't ask for it. But they also didn't ask to be stranded here and now we are," he sounded bitter and she leaned forward and looked sadly at him. "None of this was expected."

"Things will go back to the way they were," she reassured him but she knew it wasn't working. He had sat back and was looking around miserably. "They have to."

"What if they don't? We're missing guns, Kate. We don't know who is armed and who isn't. People are scared and when people get scared they get defensive. What if what happens to Shannon happens again? There's going to be mayhem," he insisted, now angry. He looked at Kate with pleading eyes.

"How do you know that?" now Kate was mad. "How can you not have trust in these people when all along they've blindly given their faith to you? There hasn't been that yet so how will it change now? Because of some guns? If you went out there and said the guns have to be returned, they would listen. Because they listened to you before and were kept safe."

"How was blowing up everyone keeping them safe?" he demanded, his voice rising. "How was getting some of them killed keeping them safe?"

"It wasn't your fault! It was my fault! You always want it to be your fault because you want to be the one to fix it, but you can't. This was my doing and I'm going to make it known. They'll get to trust you again because their trust in me will be gone," tears were spilling from her eyes. "I killed them, I was the one who caused all of it."

"Sawyer…" Jack began.

"Sawyer just went along with it. It's my fault seven of us are dead, and it's my fault all of this had to happen. For once Jack, it's not all about you. I have to deal with this now," she was full out crying now and Jack moved forward but she moved back, sitting back in the chair. "It's my problem now."

"It's all of our problem," he whispered as she quickly wiped her face. He reached out and put a hand on hers on the armrest. "We'll all get through it together."

"Sawyer almost died," she whispered to him, her eyes glazing over. "Satine did too. All of those people are dead, we can't expect them to do nothing."

"We can't expect them to retaliate either," he was closer to her now and she could feel her heart rate quickening. "We'll be fine."

"I just want it to be the way it was," she said softly, her eyes locked on his as he came closer. "The way it was…"

She took in breath as he was even closer and she closed her eyes, leaning forward and knew they were about to when someone spoke.

"Sorry to interrupt."

Sawyer stood there, his face grim and his eyes blazing. Kate sat back quickly and painfully, wincing. Jack lowered his head and sighed, looking back up at Sawyer expectantly.

"What is it?" Jack said, standing and shaking off the tiredness.

"Well, some of our little camp buddies still have guns," Sawyer looked around at the newly cleaned hatch. "Wow doc, you should consider a job in…"

"Who?" demanded Kate, pulling herself up and leaning on Jack.

"Tokyo Rose and Jackie Chan," said Sawyer, still looking around as though expecting someone to come climbing out of a cabinet. "Hurley definitely has one…"

"Hurley?" Kate looked confused. It didn't seem like something he'd do.

"Yes, and a couple more but I'm not too sure. All I know is a bunch of them were whispering about keeping them a secret from you, doc," Sawyer looked as though he were enjoying rubbing the lack of trust the survivors now had in Jack's face. He wore a taught smirk. "Just lettin' ya know before you walk down any dark alleys."

"What should we do?" Kate asked Sawyer. "Do you think they'll give them up?"

Sawyer let out a laugh.

"Right. After what happened? They'll be having shifts to guard them. And don't expect any of them to continue pushing your precious button. They've sworn off that too."

"What?" Jack was now totally shocked. "Why? They know that…"

"They don't know anything. They've heard Mr. Clean talking about it and heard about how you think nothing will happen. They might hate you, but they still believe you," said Sawyer in a low voice, he looked away. "I was just lettin' you know…"

"Why? Of all people you'd be happy for one big shootout," Jack snapped angrily, walking towards Sawyer, leaving Kate wavering behind him. He went right up to Sawyer, breathing heavily. "You'd love for all hell to break loose."

"As much as I would," Sawyer snapped back, practically shaking, trying to keep himself from swinging at the doctor, "I was just doin' what the kid wanted to. I'm just a messenger."

Jack looked back at Kate who had sat back down and turned away. He looked back at Sawyer and then turned to walk away.

"Doc."

Turning back, Jack glared at Sawyer.

"I think you should come look at the kid," Sawyer said carefully, avoiding looking directly at Jack. "She's not lookin' too hot."

"When are you going to settle down and start a family?"

Sawyer looked up from his plate of eggs at the older woman sitting at the table next to his. She was looking at him seriously, although Sawyer had never met her in his life.

"Gary, you're getting old now. You need to find a wife and give me some grandchildren," she said, shaking her head in shame. She had powerful blue eyes and a warm smile. "You've been so good, Gary."

Turning back to his breakfast, Sawyer wanted to finish quickly. He had only stopped in here before getting on the plane. He was starving.

"I know what you've done," said the old woman in a stern voice. "I know what you did."

Looking back at her, Sawyer saw there was a coat on the back of the chair across from her. So she was with someone, obviously this crazy old woman hadn't wandered into the airport alone.

"If you don't find her, someone will," she said, now glaring at Sawyer as he tried to ignore her and finish. "You have to protect her from them."

This woman was out of her mind, he decided. Probably some kind of senile dementia. Feeling extremely irritated, Sawyer got up and was about to pass the woman when she grabbed his arm, jerking his tray and sending his plate clattering to the floor, egg splattering.

"Hey lady!" Sawyer said angrily, causing several people to look up. "Let go!"

"Three!" she pleaded with him, not letting go of his arm as he held the empty tray and stared down at her. "There will be three before the end!"

"Hey!"

A younger woman came hurrying over with a tray of food, placing it quickly down on the table and hurrying over to Sawyer, wrenching the older woman's arm from his wrist.

"I'm so sorry. She's senile," said the woman hurriedly, looking apologetic. "I hope you were finished…" She was motioning to the food on the ground.

"Yeah, I was done," Sawyer snapped. "Put a leash on her!"

He stormed away, his wrist still red from where had had grabbed it.

Satine looked up to see Walt and Michael coming down the beach. Walt looked the same, still walking as though in a trance beside his father, who held his hand protectively. It seemed Michael's eyes were always watering as he looked down at his son, and he didn't let anyone near them, hurrying away when anyone approached.

Standing, she wavered a bit. She still felt very sick. Jack hadn't given her any medicine and she was slowly declining, getting weaker and weaker. For a while she figured he'd forgotten about her, there were more important people to save. This thought depressed her immensely and she tried not to think about it.

She hurried across the sand towards Michael and Walt. Surprisingly, Michael didn't avert Walt the other way. He slowed so that Satine didn't have to walk farther and stopped when she approached them.

"Hey," she said quietly to Michael. "How's he doing?"

"Better," Michael's voice was hoarse. He looked down at Walt and sighed. "He hasn't spoken yet though."

"I spoke to him right before the explosion," Satine said, giving a small smile. The wind was blowing off the ocean and she almost stumbled in her weakness. The sun seemed unusually bright. "He was so happy you were alive."

Michael gave a big smile and looked from Satine to Walt, who was looking out at the ocean. The sun was high in the sky and it was very warm on the beach. Satine felt slightly faint so she bid them goodbye and went back to Sawyer's tent where she had been resting.

Sawyer came back to the tent a few moments later and sat down heavily beside Satine.

"Did you tell him?" she asked as he sat back in his usual chair.

"Yeah," he mumbled. "I doubt he'll do anything. Unless he's got everyone cheering his name, the doc is doesn't give a hoot."

"He'll do something," she said softly, laying down on the mat she was sitting on.

"You feelin' okay, kid?" Sawyer asked as she closed her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm just gonna take a nap," she said quietly.

Sawyer watched her drift off to sleep before getting up and hurrying back to the hatch.

Kate and Jack were hurrying down the trail towards the golf course. It was where Locke and Sayid were going to bury the bodies. They had spent the last hour bringing them up there. Now Kate and Jack were going to try to help.

"Did we count how many died?" Kate asked as Jack helped her along

"Yeah. But we lost count because some of the bodies weren't quite…together," Jack looked away.

They reached the valley and hurried over to where John and Sayid were throwing the bodies into the pit. Kate stopped walking, not wanting to get any closer. Jack left her and went to help but they were finished and began filling in the hole.

"Listen," Jack looked at John, who stopped digging to look up at him. "We have a problem. Some of them still have guns…"

As Jack said it, Locke pulled a pistol out of his back pocket.

"And?" said John curiously, as though daring Jack to say anything.

"I…" Jack wasn't sure what to say. "We have to get them all back."

"Why?" said Sayid, straightening up and leaning on his makeshift shovel.

"Because," Jack looked back at Kate for some support and found none. "Because if we don't, people will start shooting each other. What happened to Shannon…"

"Was an accident," Sayid barked. "But what happened before wasn't an accident! These people aren't dead because of a mistake. She knew exactly what she was doing!"

He was looking over Jack's shoulder at Kate, who looked away guiltily.

"That's not what…"

"It's everything, isn't it?" said John. Jack's eyes widened. "Because of her choices, things have changed. There is no more trust."

"You told me you were a man of faith!" Jack shouted angrily.

"I had faith in you!" retorted John, his face red with fury. "What did you do with that?"

"Jack had nothing to do with it," Kate said from behind Jack.

"At one time we were all to live together in peace," said Sayid quietly. "Now where shall we live and in what peace?"

"There is peace. There is always hope for peace," Jack said, feeling drained. He looked upon the two men in front of him, and the dozen man lying in the hole below. "We can come back from it."

They didn't say anything, just went back to digging. Jack turned on his heel and grabbed Kate, helping her along too quickly. He got fed up with her and left her there to limp back alone as he stormed off into the jungle.


	36. Chapter 36: Coincedence

Sawyer entered the hatch and found it empty. He remembered how not too long ago they had swore never to leave it empty again. Laughing to himself, he went to leave.

"Hey."

It was Sun. Sawyer supposed she was on duty for a while since no one else was filling his or her post.

"Is Jack around?" Sawyer asked her as she came slowly out of the computer room. She looked pale and worried, like everyone else on this island. As though something bad was expected, like it wasn't all over.

"No, he and Kate left," she said quietly. She looked almost scared of Sawyer, she had stopped at the doorway and came no further. "Why, is something wrong?"

"The kid…I mean Satine, she doesn't look too hot. I know Jack was giving her some medicine before the whole thing happened but he hasn't done that in like two days. I think she needs it," Sawyer said carefully. He wasn't sure of her feelings towards Jack anymore. Her and Jin hadn't made it clear whether they still trusted Jack.

"He's made it pretty clear he's not caring for anyone anymore," she said bitterly and Sawyer's suspicions were confirmed. "So don't expect anything from him."

"I just need the antibiotics," Sawyer sighed. "Thanks anyway."

"Um…" Sun stepped forward as Sawyer went to turn away. He looked at her curiously. "If you need help getting it, I have a…"

"I have one too," he took the gun from his pants and showed it to her. She nodded, looking slightly discontented. "So is that the way we're going to get things we want now?"

"It gets things done," she said strongly, not blinking. "We have to survive."

"We've been surviving fine up until now. Why is it all changed?"

She didn't say anything for a moment but looked away.

"Because we don't know whom to trust anymore," she said as the alarm went off. "I hope you find Jack. If I see him I'll let him know you need him. But I suggest you take matters into your own hands."

She turned and left him, going to put the numbers in the computer. As Sawyer left the hatch, the alarm stopped and there was silence again.

Kate limped back to the beach by herself. She was bitter, angry, and upset. Her head was spinning as she tried to make sense of everything. They were alone now. Her and Jack were now some kind of outcasts among the survivors. But why didn't anyone have anything against Sawyer? Everyone had to know he had been in on it too. But she wasn't trying to blame it all on Sawyer, she knew it was all her fault. Yet it made no sense to her.

They wouldn't last long without a doctor. The psychosis of not having one nearby would make them all sick. Soon they'd be panicking, and people would get angry. She knew how this would turn out if things didn't return to normal.

Yet it all came back to Satine. No matter what way you thought about it, she was the reason for all of this. Now that Kate thought about it, the person everyone should be hating is Satine. This scared her slightly because she was wondering if there would be attempts on her life now. People would blame the discontent on her, and possibly do something about it. Kate quickened her pace, the pain in her leg almost completely gone as she hurried along. She needed to find Sawyer and make sure he was protecting Satine. As much as Kate would love to blame it on her, she did nothing wrong.

Kate came to the fork in the path. One lead to the caves and the other led to the beach. Standing in the middle of it were Charlie and Claire.

"I don't want to!" Claire was shouting angrily, clutching a screaming Aaron to her chest. "Just forget it!"

"Let me do this!" Charlie begged. He was holding his arms out to Claire. "I want to see what happens."

"And risk his life? You're nuts, Charlie," she snapped, moving to storm away. He touched her shoulder and she turned around. "No, Charlie."

"What if she wants to hurt him? What if your dreams are true? We'll never know! But if I'm there, she can't hurt him!" he was pleading with her. "Claire, if anything were to happen to you or Aaron I don't know what I'd do. I need to make sure of this."

Claire seemed indecisive. She looked down at Aaron who was crying loudly and then up at Charlie. They hadn't seen Kate yet because she hadn't come all the way around the bend. Kate had a strong suspicion they were talking about Satine.

"I won't let anything happen to him," Charlie said quietly, moving closer to Claire. She seemed to retract from him and then loosened up. "I promise."

She carefully handed the baby over to Charlie, who then kissed her cheek. She looked terrified and put a hand to her mouth.

"Go wait in the hatch. I'll come right there and let you know what happened," Charlie said softly. "Okay?"

"Charlie, if she…if she makes any move…you run, okay?" she was crying, wiping her eyes frantically. "Just run. Don't try to fight. Scream, call for help."

"I have my protection," and he nodded towards his belt where Kate distinctly saw a gun. "I'll be back."

Claire kissed Aaron's head then walked away towards the caves. Charlie stood there for a moment and then Kate came around the corner.

"Hey," Kate said as Charlie turned at the sound of her feet.

"Oh hey," he looked uncomfortable and shifted Aaron awkwardly. "What're you doing up here?"

"I was coming back from the valley," she said, walking beside him slowly towards the beach. "Where's Claire?"

"She's taking a walk, I'm watching Aaron for a bit," Charlie looked away. Kate wondered if he'd say anything about what he was doing.

They walked in silence for a little while and then Kate spoke again.

"So what do you think about all of this?" she asked quietly. "I mean, everyone has guns now and…"

"It's that bloody girl's fault," Charlie erupted suddenly. Aaron had just fallen asleep and he looked startled, lowering his voice to a whisper. "It's all gone downhill since she arrived."

"But she's just a girl. How could she have…"

"Nothing has been the same. She was taken and they should have kept her," she snapped bitterly. "Now she's giving us all weird dreams."

"Weird dreams?" Kate looked confused. She hadn't really slept much in the past two days. "What are you talking about?"

"Everyone's had the same dream that I've spoken to. Everyone's is different, but they're basically the same. There's always Aaron in it, lying alone on the beach. The tide is coming in and no one's around. Then that girl is there. She's there, and just watches as the tide brings the baby out to sea. And she's just there, standing there and watching and doesn't do a damn thing!"

"It's a dream, Charlie," said Kate carefully.

"Then why did everyone have it? Ask anyone, ask Sayid or Rose, or her bloody husband! They all came to Claire and told her about it!" he had to keep lowering his voice, forgetting the baby was asleep in his arms as they walked.

"You said everyone's is different," Kate asked.

"Yeah. At the end of everyone's, it's not Aaron in the water it's someone else. Just as the tide takes him, it turns into someone else. For Rose it was Bernard, for Sun it was Jin," he shook his head discontentedly. "It's too bloody creepy."

"Who was it for you?"

Charlie stopped walking. They had reached the beach and were standing at the entrance to the path. The sun was getting lower in the sky and cast shadows on the trees.

"It was Claire," Charlie said quietly.

He just looked at Kate for a moment before heading off towards Sawyer's tent.

"Stop that. Spit it out," snapped Satine's mother angrily from her place in a hard plastic chair in the doctor's office. "Chewing gum is nasty."

Satine rolled her eyes in the typical teenager fashion and spit the gum the two feet into the garbage pail. It stuck to the wall but she had no time to get up and throw it out because the door opened.

From where she sat on the cold metal table of the examining room, Satine could see the handsome doctor looked concerned. His normally smooth brow was furrowed and his lips taut. Satine felt her stomach sink.

"Well, we got the results," said the doctor. Satine's mother's eyes narrowed. "Your blood count was low."

"What does that mean?" Satine asked worriedly. Her heart was hammering.

"It could mean a lot of things. It explains why you kept fainting at soccer practice. It also explains how thin you are. But it doesn't explain one thing," and the doctor crossed his arms, his clipboard in one hand. "It doesn't explain the bruises."

Looking away, Satine's eyes rested on her mother whose face suddenly became grim. Her eyes were bloodshot and Satine knew she was hungover. The only thing Satine was grateful of was that her mother hadn't drank that morning, but she knew it was only a matter of time before they would make a stop at a liquor store.

"I play soccer," Satine said quietly, looking down.

The doctor nodded, not content but willing to move past it.

"For a fifteen year old girl, you're normal except for those facts. We'll do an MRI and CAT scan in the morning to rule out any forms of cancer…"

"Cancer," the word caught in Satine's throat like poison. Her hands began to tremble. "But…what are the chances of that."

"Well, with the rate that your white blood cells are decreasing, slightly higher than normal. But you're young and if that is the case, we can start treatment right away," he sounded optimistic but inside Satine was crying. Her head was swimming with the word. "But I'd like to speak to you alone."

They both turned to face Satine's mother, who looked slightly dazed. When she realized what he had said, she stood, looking angry.

"I will not leave my daughter in here with you alone!" she snapped.

"Mom, please," Satine begged. "Not now."

"No! I will not have her molested!"

So she had drunk this morning, Satine thought sadly.

"I can assure you, nothing of the sort will occur. I need to ask her some personal questions that I would rather you not in the room for," the doctor said firmly. Satine felt grateful that he was protecting her this way. He was so handsome, she thought sadly. But his wedding ring was shining in the light of the room, as were the few grays in his hair.

"I won't leave."

She sat down stubbornly and crossed her arms. The doctor took a deep, steadying breath and then turned to Satine.

"Has your mother or father ever struck you, hit you, punched you, or injured you in any way that has left a mark, bruise, or caused you to bleed?"

The question was so straightforward, so fast and hit her so hard she didn't have a chance to prepare. Her face had given it all away as she stared at the doctor and then her eyes drifted to her mother sitting behind him, giving her glares. Satine didn't want to hurt her mother, she'd only begun to drink a few months ago but it had gotten steadily worse. The last time it had been bad was two weeks ago, and the bruises hadn't faded which scared Satine even more.

She looked into this young doctor's eyes and wished she were older, wished she could jump forward and kiss him and have him carry her from the room. They could go get married and spent their life together somewhere. But her fantasy was fading. Her dreams of getting away always seemed to interfere with reality.

And then she was staring into his eyes again.

"No," she said softly.

She could see the disappointment in his eyes as he nodded, taking down a note and then left the room.

Satine woke up and stretched. She was in pain, worse pain that earlier that day. She needed the antibiotics badly. The feeling she had wasn't a good one. She had been sick long enough to know when something wasn't right.

The sun was low in the sky and she couldn't see Sawyer anywhere down the beach. But she did see Charlie and Kate talking at the entrance to the path. Charlie was holding Aaron and looked very serious. Finally he left Kate and headed towards where Satine sat just outside Sawyer's tent.

"Hey," Satine said as Charlie came and stood above her. "How's the baby?"

"Fine," Charlie snapped. He didn't look very happy. He bent down to kneel in front of her and seemed to shove Aaron in her face.

"What are you doing?" Satine asked as he held it before her. "Charlie, where's Claire?"

"She's gone for a walk," Charlie snapped, unsatisfied. He shook his head. "So, you like babies?"

"I love babies," Satine said quietly. She didn't feel that great and didn't need Charlie harassing her. She'd heard what he'd been saying about her. It hadn't been anything sweet. "But Charlie, shouldn't you be…"

"What? What should I be doing?" Charlie demanded angrily. Aaron had woken up and looked fussy.

"What are you…"

"Hey!"

Sawyer came storming out of the jungle towards the tent. He stopped right beside Charlie and when he saw the baby stopped.

He'd had a dream about Aaron only the night before. Aaron had been on the beach, and the tide had come in to sweep him out. The kid had been just standing there, watching it all happen. And then suddenly it was she in the surf, her lifeless body floating with the waves…

Snapping himself back to reality, he looked at Charlie angrily.

"What are you doing in my tent?" Sawyer angrily spat as Charlie stood and backed away. "Get the hell out of here!"

Charlie gave them both a look before hurrying off down the beach as Aaron began to cry. Sawyer sat down beside Satine and sighed.

"What was that all about?" he asked her as she watched Charlie retreat with worried eyes.

"I don't know. He…he doesn't like me," she said quietly, averting her eyes and then looking at Sawyer. "Something's going on."

"Tell me about it," he shook his head. "Jack wasn't at the hatch. Someone said he ran off."

"Where?" she asked quietly, looking down at her shaking hands.

"Maybe to find that damn polar bear. The guy needs some company," Sawyer laughed at himself and then saw how worried Satine looked. "I'll find him later."

She nodded, trusting that he would. She felt tired again and said she was going to lay down for a while. Sawyer didn't mention that she had just woken up from an almost three hour nap. He just let her lie back down on the mat and close her eyes. When she had been asleep almost ten minutes, Sawyer stood up. The sun was setting over the ocean as he headed off to find Claire.


	37. Chapter 37: Fall Into Answers

Sawyer had searched for Claire in the hatch and hadn't been able to find her. It was now almost completely dark and as he headed back through the jungle realized how hungry he was. No one had really eaten much since no one was brave enough to venture into the jungle to look for the fruit trees. Sawyer had heard a rumor that Jin was no longer catching fish for everyone, but only for himself and Sun.

As Sawyer headed back to the beach, darkness fell quickly around him and the blackness of the jungle pressed in on all sides. Sawyer stumbled down the path back to the beach and took a different way that had less canopy so the moon could light the path. He walked slowly as to not fall and he was about to take out his lighter when he fell over something lying across the path and fell hard.

"What the…"

Sawyer looked down and his eyes widened. Lying facedown across the path was Charlie. Sawyer saw the blue of Aaron's blanket under him and shoved Charlie over onto his back, but the baby wasn't under him. It was just the blanket.

"Charlie?" Sawyer shook Charlie hard but he looked like he'd been hit hard over the head with something. "Charlie?"

Slowly Charlie groaned and his eyes opened wearily but closed again.

"The baby," Charlie muttered, feeling around him. "Aaron. Where's Aaron?"

"Who hit you?" asked Sawyer desperately, fear filling him.

"Took him," but Charlie couldn't even keep his eyes open. He struggled to stay conscious for a few more moments and then passed out again.

Standing, Sawyer knew he couldn't carry Charlie back to the hatch. The beach was closer, so he'd have to run and find someone. Taking off, he flew through the woods at top speed, drifting from the path to follow a straighter way. He was only a few yards from the end of the jungle when he heard a baby crying.

Slowing down, he listened, barely breathing. It was definitely Aaron and he sounded close. Had someone dropped him in the jungle? Searching the ground, Sawyer realized it sounded like it was coming from the beach.

He knew what he'd see before he even got there. He could see the baby lying only feet from the surf and then to his left stood Satine, her eyes wide as she stared at the baby.

"KID!" Sawyer bellowed. "What are you doing?"

She didn't answer but continued to stare. Looking over Sawyer saw the tide had reached Aaron and was beginning to wash over him. Darting across the beach, Sawyer fell and scrambled back up, jumping back up and reaching Aaron just as a wave washed over him completely.

Sawyer wasn't good with kids or babies, but he scooped up the kid as it coughed and gagged on the water, crying loudly. Unsure of what to do, Sawyer made sure the baby was still breathing and held it to his chest. Aaron was sopping wet and he wore only his nappy, which was beginning to fall off.

"Where is Claire?" Sawyer demanded of Satine as the baby cried hard and squirmed against him. He didn't know how to hold it, afraid he was hurting him. "Satine!"

A scream erupted from the jungle and Sawyer looked up to see Claire, John, Sayid, and Hurley scrambling down the beach. Claire looked terrified and hysterical as she practically fell over herself getting to Sawyer. When she reached him she practically wrenched the sopping wet baby from his arms and just as Sawyer was about to explain, Claire had hit him hard with a closed fist across the face. She was small but the hit sent Sawyer stumbling back.

"I saved your god damn kid!" Sawyer snapped, putting one hand over his face. "I should have let him drown!"

She went to hit him again but he caught her arm and threw it down. She backed away, cradling Aaron tightly to her. Everyone was staring, including Satine, who looked confused.

"Kid! Tell them!" Sawyer shouted at Satine angrily. "God damn it, you were right there!"

Satine looked around at them confusedly.

"I…" she looked ready to cry as she looked from Sawyer to Claire, to Aaron. "I don't know…"

"Charlie is unconscious in the jungle," Sawyer began, pointing towards where he'd come out.

"We found him," Sayid said curiously. "Did you hit him?"

"NO!" frustrated, Sawyer felt ready to throw a punch. "I found him and he said that Aaron was gone so I went to find help and found the kid…"

"He was in the water," Claire said, her voice sounding hysterical. She was feeling the baby's wet skin. "Why was he in the water?"

"He was in the surf. I got him out just in time. She was just standing there…just watching," Sawyer felt like none of them believed him.

"We should get him back and dry," said John, looking worriedly down at Aaron in Claire's arms. He turns her around and started to lead her back as she shot looks over her shoulder.

"Let's go," Sayid said firmly to Sawyer.

"What, am I under arrest?" Sawyer snapped. He looked over at Satine, who was watching with confusion. "What is wrong with you? You saw the whole thing!"

Satine said nothing and just looked at him with fearful eyes. Sayid walked towards Sawyer but stepped away.

"Don't even think about it," Sawyer warned. "I did nothing to that kid."

"Then why was Charlie lying unconscious in the jungle and the baby in your arms?" Sayid asked quietly.

Sawyer didn't answer.

Jack stepped over the small creek and continued walking, the moon barely lighting his path. He wasn't sure how long he'd been walking but he knew that no matter how long it took him, he was going to find answers.

He had to know where they came from, where they had kept Satine for so long. Jack had to know if there were more of them because if there were, he would try to make peace with them and get them to join the other survivors. John had estimated that there were only maybe six or seven left that had run off and one had been a child and the others all women and maybe one young man.

Feeling terrible for leaving Kate, and for just simply abandoning everyone, he pressed forward. Sayid and John had made it clear the trust was gone, all the survivors were either scared of him or despised him. The leaders, the people everyone had looked up to had failed them and killed them.

Having been walking for almost an entire day now, Jack began to doubt himself. He wasn't the doctor he wanted to be, and he definitely wasn't the doctor that his father was. How could he think that he could be the only doctor of these forty people, and somehow lead them? He'd never asked for the job but he'd taken in on and now look where he was.

He had reached a part of the island he'd never seen before. The trees were farther apart, and somehow the ground looked flattened, as though walked on. He went more slowly through here, watching for those traps and listening for the sounds of anything, anyone possibly around.

He began seeing signs of life but they were skewed everywhere. Several scraps of clothing lay on the ground, as though torn up and discarded. Several burnt out campfires lay scattered around, ashes black against the soil. The trees grew sparser and sparser and Jack was soon entering a kind of valley in the middle of the jungle where there were no trees, not because they hadn't grown there but because they had been chopped down. Stumps of trees were everywhere. As he kept walking forward, he could see large distorted shapes in the distance. As he came closer, the moon cast long shadows over the remains of many tents, lined up almost in a row on either side of a long wide path marked by torches. At the end was large mound of burnt, charred wood.

As Jack slowly walked up the middle, he looked on either side. Most of the tents were burned or just torn down, the roughly sewn tarps hanging off the stakes they'd been hung on. He kept walking and it was slightly eerie the darkness. He peered into the tents, shining his flashlight in each. There was nothing inside, only broken bits of roughly made furniture. It looked like someone had gotten mad and trashed the whole camp or they had been instructed to destroy it before they left.

He reached the large pile of burnt out embers and wood. It was huge, as though many bon fires had been there. Almost three feet of ash lay beneath it. Jack slowly backed away, looking at the entire camp. He wondered in what direction they had gone off in after running from the hatch. He wished he had John's tracking skills.

Jack had gone one step too far and felt the ground vanish beneath him and he was falling.

They had reached the hatch and Sawyer threw himself down into a chair angrily. They thought it had been him and he supposed this was some kind of trial.

Charlie sat in a chair across from him, rubbing his head. He looked slightly pale and kind of delirious.

"You okay?" Sawyer asked Charlie, who looked up with squinted eyes.

"Yeah, I think," Charlie looked around, blinking a few times. "I kinda wish the doctor was here though."

"Where is Jack?" Sawyer asked John. But John wasn't paying attention. He was watching as Sayid tried to calm Claire down.

"HE TOOK THE BABY!" Claire was screaming at Sayid as Aaron cried loudly in her arms.

"We need to hear the whole story!" Sayid said harshly. "We cannot assume!"

"He was standing with Aaron by the water. Aaron was soaked, Charlie was knocked out. HOW MUCH MORE PROOF DO YOU NEED?" she was shouting in Sayid's face. He was almost a foot taller than her but he seemed to retract.

"Since when have we had a counsel on this damn island?" Sawyer said angrily, standing up. "Why should I have to prove myself? I saved the damn kid!"

"You say Satine saw you," Sayid said, looking around. "Where is she?"

Sawyer turned around. Satine was gone. He ran to check the computer room and searched the whole shelter and found nothing.

"She was standing right there. Just like in that dream!" Sawyer remembered, looking at Claire. You had a dream she was standing there while Aaron was drowning!"

"No," Claire backed away, holding Aaron tightly. "No I didn't."

"Yes you did!" Charlie suddenly stood up, wavering for a moment and then walking towards them. "You had me go to Satine with the baby to see what she'd do."

"Charlie!" gasped Claire. Obviously it was no supposed to be public.

"Where's Jack?" demanded Hurley from behind them. He had been hovering, listening but not saying anything. "Why hasn't he come back?"

"We don't know," John snapped. He crossed his arms. "Why?"

"Well Charlie's head is kinda bleeding and he always knows what to do with…"

"Jack can't help us. We don't need his help," Sayid said quickly, glancing at John.

Sawyer suddenly realized that those two had probably been planning a takeover the minute they heard the great Doctor wasn't such hot stuff anymore. It all made sense. They had been cold with Jack and Kate, and now Jack was gone and there was a crisis. It was exactly what they had wanted except they now had no idea what to do.

"Kate will know where he is," Charlie said. "Someone go find Kate."

"Kate's still injured. She's been asleep most of the afternoon," John said. "Jack disappeared earlier this morning."

"Lock him up," snapped Claire, glaring at Sawyer. "He's a danger to us all."

"Right. Of all the nutjobs on this island, I'm a danger?" Sawyer laughed and shook his head. "Okay then. Be gentle boys."

"This isn't funny," Sayid growled. "Maybe we should lock him up until we can figure out…"

"HELLO?" shouted Sawyer furiously. "I'M RIGHT HERE!"

"Calm down," John said gently. Sawyer knew what they were doing. They were trying to get him to think he really had done something wrong.

"The kid was there. I'll find her. She saw it all," Sawyer turned and ran from the hatch.

Jack looked up, his head spinning. He had fallen backwards into a hole in the ground and blacked out. Now he looked up at the starry sky, waiting for a rush of pain. Maybe he'd broken his leg, or dislocated his elbow. But no pain came. He was lucky.

Carefully he tried to move and stopped. Something wasn't right. He wasn't lying on the ground. It wasn't hard, but rough and lumpy, like sacks of sand were under him. Then the smell reached him.

He scrambled, trying to get up but only fell forward. It was a pit of bodies, rotting and baking in the hot island sun. He fell right into the face of what looked like had been a young man, whose skin was now green and black, the bone showing through. Jack let out a yell and tried to reach the side, but with each movement he sunk deeper. The bodies were everywhere, all of them wearing the same beige outfits. He saw hair, human hair and limbs and legs. Some of them had stakes through their bodies, and others lay as though simply sleeping, except for the fact that their flesh was rotting off their bones.

Jack was very sure that if he did not get out, he would be sick and pass out again. He scrambled and lifted his leg, feeling it go down onto a body and hearing something crunch, probably an arm. He was up to his thighs in bodies and reached up for the side of the ditch where a rope hung from a broken piece of a door that had probably been over the top of it.

He gripped it and it felt as though it was secure. Quickly he put his foot on the side of the hole and heaved himself up. It was a few feet and he only got his torso out but clawed with his hands in the dirt to pull the rest of him up until he was up and out, flipped over and lying on his back in the dirt.

Breathing deeply for a moment, he waited for the nausea and dizziness to pass. The sky seemed to whirl above him, the trees spinning like a wheel. Carefully, he sat up.

He felt lightheaded but okay. Jack climbed to his feet but did not go back near that hole. Instead he backed away towards where one of the larger tents was. It was the biggest, standing exactly opposite the large pile of burnt wood. As sick and terrified as Jack felt from what just happened, he knew he couldn't let it slow him down. He could think about it, and try to make sense of it but just starting to do that made him queasy. So he decided he'd find out as much as he could, keep going, and try to make sense of it when he was done and the smell had left him.

This one tent was the only one not damaged. It was taller than Jack and about ten feet wide. The flap hung down, blocking his view inside. Somehow, Jack felt this was it. This was where he would get his answers. After falling into a pit of dead people, surviving an explosion that dismembered many of the survivors, and being outcast from the only people he knew, he felt this was what he deserved.

Slowly, Jack walked forward and pushed open the flap.


	38. Chapter 38: Deja Vu

Sawyer went racing down the path and came bursting out onto the beach where he'd found Aaron. He turned left and ran down the beach towards where his tent was. She had to be there, she slept there every night.

He reached it and knew she was there because he saw her feet sticking out at the end. Stopping at the entrance, he looked in.

Satine was lying flat on her back, staring up at the ceiling of the tent. She looked bad, possibly worse than she had in days. She was pale and looked as though she was having trouble breathing. Ever since Jack left, her health had been slowly decreasing.

"Kid," Sawyer was calmer than he expected to be. He had thought he'd rush up to her screaming and yelling but just seeing her lying there made him suddenly feel for her. "You okay?"

"I just feel sick," she said gently, still staring at the top of the tent. "Is Aaron okay?"

"Yeah," Sawyer sat down on the sand beside her. "I really need you to vouch for me."

"I don't remember how I got there. I think I was sleep walking. The last thing I remember is falling asleep in here. Then I was standing there and you had the baby and everyone was yelling," she sat up suddenly and looked at him. "I don't remember."

"I need you to lie, then. Because if they believe I did that to Charlie and took that kid, I'm screwed. They have no trust in anyone anymore. They'll lock me in that damn armory or something," he was desperate and she could see it in his eyes. "Please. Just say you were too scared so you ran afterward. Please."

She looked down and then back at Sawyer. Then her brow furrowed.

"Walt?"

Sawyer spun around and saw Walt standing at the entrance to the tent. He was staring at them with his usual blank stare of late. Satine looked frightened. Sawyer shook his head.

"Come with me back to the hatch," Sawyer said, noticing the sun was rising over the ocean. This would be his second night without sleep and he could feel it in his eyes. "Please."

Nodding, Satine let Sawyer help her up. They stood there for a moment facing Walt and then walked past him. Walt hadn't spoken since he'd come back, and no one even tried to speak with him anymore.

Stepping inside shining his flashlight around, Jack could barely see but by the little light he had, he saw there was a quite luxurious bed and some comfortable roughly made furniture. The bed was made of several furs and what looked oddly like polar bear skin. The chairs around a small table were rough like any of the others on the island but seemingly better made than most. On the table was what looked like the remains of a meal, some rotting fruit and a piece of undistinguishable meat.

Jack walked forward, his heart hammering in his chest. He shone his flashlight around and suddenly stopped. The blankets on the bed were pulled off slightly, shrouding a lump on the ground. Looking more carefully Jack saw a pair of black feet poking out.

He wasn't keen on seeing another dead body but something drove Jack forward, driving him towards this body. As though finding out who it was beneficial.

Carefully he bent down and reached for the blanket, ripping it off.

The bonfire was glowing bright, building higher than it usually was. There was mayhem, people running and screaming. Something was happening.

"They left us behind to die!" shouted one woman who was kneeling in front of the fire.

"They left us behind to watch the camp! What is going on?" screamed the youngest girl known as Alex. "What are you doing?"

"We need to teach him."

The woman rose and Alex jumped back. In her hand was a gun.

"How did you get that?" Alex shouted over the noise. People were running everywhere, others were chasing them. They had been infected, they had gone mad.

"We need to show him!"

"NO!"

Alex watched as the woman ran towards the largest tent. Alex knew that she was inside, the one who had been left behind to watch over them. After the ranks had gone off to fight for the shelter, many women and injured men had been left behind. But something had gone wrong. They were infected, that's why they were left behind. But Alex's suspicions were true. They had infected the few of them. They had done it and left them behind because those who had gone off to fight expected to stay there, expected to be safe in the quarantine.

But if this woman killed Sheryl, the only person who had any kind of power over them, it would be over.

"Stop!" Alex grabbed the woman's arm but felt a sharp jab in her side. Someone had run into her holding one of the stakes. Alex fell to the ground, knowing she was bleeding but realizing it wasn't that bad. Groaning with pain she got back to her feet. "STOP!"

The flap was pulled back and the gun held out. Alex heard the gunshots, all four of them before the last one went off.

Turning around, she saw people were lying dead on the ground and those that were infected ravaging the bodies, and then running through the camp. They were mad, running into the sides of tents and tearing them down. Several had run right into the fire, falling onto the embers. The smell of blood and burnt flesh filled the air. Alex felt terrified, her heart pounding in her throat.

"Alex!"

Someone was calling Alex from the protection of the trees. Going around the tent she was suddenly yanked behind the bushes.

Kneeling in the brush were several others. There were four women, a younger boy Alex knew as Steven, and a little girl known as Emma. The woman closest to her, Cindy, was holding a gun.

"We have to kill them," she whispered to Alex, loading the gun. "Or they'll infect everyone on the island."

"Why? Why did they leave us?" Alex asked worriedly. She felt terrified as she knelt there in the moist soil. The fear on all of their faces was evident. "Why would they do this?"

Cindy looked over Alex's shoulder at the camp. It was quieting down because almost everyone was dead. Only a few of the "crazies" as Alex had begun to call them were running around, tearing down the tents and running past the fire screeching unearthly yells. The sounds made a shiver run down Alex's neck.

"There are only four. If we can get them all, we can try to catch up with the others," Cindy said, putting the gun up over the bush.

"No! If they hear it they'll come this way!" Alex pleaded.

"We have no choice! They'll infect us!" hissed someone behind her.

Alex shook her head and backed away slightly, perhaps preparing to run in case the shots did attract the crazies. She knew they were slow because they couldn't run without falling. Now everyone huddled together as Cindy poked the barrel of the gun through the foliage and pulled the trigger.

Sawyer held onto Satine's hand all the way back to the hatch. Somehow he felt if he let go, she'd run and he would lose his only witness. It killed Sawyer to know he was proving himself to these people, these morons who now thought they could run the place. As much as Sawyer hated admitting it, things were better when Jack was around.

They entered the main area and found Sayid very roughly trying to bandage Charlie's head. Claire and Aaron were nowhere to be seen but John and Hurley were in deep conversation in the small booth.

"I found her," Sawyer announced, feeling as though if he didn't say anything they wouldn't notice him. Sayid looked up from Charlie's bandages and his eyes focused on Satine.

"Well?" Sayid motioned for Charlie to move away. Charlie gave Sayid a confused look and then went to sit on the couch. Then Sayid went to Satine and pulled her away from Sawyer who, for a moment, didn't let go of her hand and then released it. Sayid seated her in the chair where he'd been doing Charlie's bandages. "What did you see?"

Satine looked worriedly at Sawyer and then down at her hands.

"I got scared so I ran. But Sawyer saw the baby in the water and saved it," she said quietly. Sawyer wished she would look up. Sayid was an expert at knowing when someone was lying.

"Where were you right before this happened?" Sayid asked. Sawyer knew he was interrogating her. No one else in the room spoke.

"I was asleep. I think I was sleep walking because the last thing I remember is standing on that beach," she said quietly although she had a far off look in her eyes as though remembering.

"So you didn't see Sawyer pick up the baby out of the water?" asked Sayid harshly. Sawyer stood only feet away. Anger was rising within him that he was trying to control.

"No, I did," she insisted. She didn't look well anymore, as though this was draining her. She put a shaking hand to her forehead. "But I don't remember walking there."

"She did it," Charlie said suddenly. "It was you."

Satine looked confused.

"She hit me," said Charlie, walking over. "She took the baby. She put it in the water."

Charlie carefully stepped over the brush. He shouldn't have taken this path but it was fastest to the beach and then he could walk along the water back to Claire's tent. He didn't like wandering around in the jungle at night especially with Aaron, who was now fast asleep in his arms.

He reached the fork in the path and stopped, adjusting the baby harness. It was painfully cutting into his neck. Aaron was getting too big for it, he'd have to make a new one soon.

There was a sound like someone walking behind him and he spun on the spot. Through the dim moonlight he could see nothing, just blackness behind him. It was a bright night but the canopy blocked out most of the light. Charlie's heart hammered in his chest so badly he was sure it would wake up Aaron.

Turning back around Charlie continued down the path and he had only gotten about ten feet from where he had stopped when something very hard and sharp hit him in the back of the head. He was aware that he had stopped himself from falling to keep from crushing the baby but the dizziness and a rushing sound in his ears was all he needed to know that he was about to pass out. So carefully Charlie fell to his knees and then to his side, holding Aaron carefully and then slowly, very slowly losing consciousness.

Satine bent down and unwrapped the baby carrier and then took Aaron out of it. He didn't cry, just looked curiously at her as his blanket remained under Charlie. She held the bare baby tightly to her chest, thinking of nothing. Her mind was blank, all she could see was the water…the ocean as the waves lapped the shore. It was imperative she reach it and make sure Aaron did too. She didn't know why, she wasn't controlling her own actions.

Stepping over Charlie she hurried through the jungle. Aaron didn't cry, just shivered against the cool night air. She came out onto the beach and looked up and down. No one was in sight. A campfire glow burned in the night far up the beach but too far for anyone to see her.

Slowly she walked down to the shore. The water was at first cold on her feet but then welcoming. She stood there for a moment holding Aaron to her and then carefully, she set him down on the dry sand. It was only inches from where the water was reaching as it came in and drew out again. The cold sand and the shock of being put down caused Aaron to let out a cry, and then he began bawling as the water soaked the sand around him, chilling him. Satine stepped back, walking backwards along the beach until she had reached a spot onto feet from where Aaron lay in the surf, and where only seconds later Sawyer came flying out of the jungle.

She watched him fly towards Aaron and lift him from the surf just as it splashed over him, but just as he was approaching her, the dream lifted. Suddenly she was awake, aware that the sand was sticking to her wet feet, and that she was unusually cold. She could see Sawyer's angry face but couldn't understand why he was holding a soaking wet Aaron to his chest. What had happened?

Charlie glared into Satine's face and went to make a move and Sawyer seized the scruff of Charlie's shirt, yanking him back. This caused Charlie to stumble and fall onto his behind. He scrambled up, looking furious.

"She tried to kill him!" Charlie shouted angrily. "It was her! I remember now!"

"I…" Satine knew it was true, as the memory of hitting Charlie and taking the baby slowly came back to her. But she hadn't done it. Why would she do that? "I didn't…"

Even Sawyer was looking at her now with mild surprise. He looked shocked and somehow confused.

"Her feet were wet," Sayid said slowly. He looked shocked. "Now I remember."

Satine looked around at them with wide eyes. She knew she had done it but not of her own accord. That dream, she had lived out that dream that they had all had. Somehow, it had come true. But why? Who had told her to do it?

"Claire can't know," Charlie looked from Sayid to John, who was hanging back uncomfortably. Sawyer tried not to rejoice in the fact that Locke looked scared. "We have to make sure she still thinks Sawyer did it."

"WHAT?" Sawyer shouted angrily.

"If she knows it was Satine, who knows what she'll do to her," Sayid nodded in agreement. "If she thinks it was Sawyer, she won't try anything."

"How do you know that," Sawyer demanded. He still felt numb and couldn't bring himself to look at Satine. "How do you know she wouldn't just try to choke me in my sleep or something?"

"Because she won't. She's too afraid something will happen to her and Aaron will be left alone," Charlie nodded. He also couldn't look at Satine. For some reason, his rage had departed and was replaced by calm confusion. "But we also can't let this nutter roam around anymore."

"But if she was sleepwalking, can't we just have some kind of bell on her to wake us up when she does it again?" Sawyer asked.

"Perhaps she was sleep walking but that doesn't make a difference," Sayid concluded. "She's dangerous to others. We need to keep a closer eye on her."

"Hello! I'm right here!" Satine said angrily. She knew they had reason to be mad, she was angry at herself. But they didn't have to talk about her as though she wasn't there.

"Come," Sayid took Satine's arm but she wrenched it away.

"You're not locking me up. You can't," she pleaded, looking pale. Sawyer knew she wouldn't survive being locked up. Somehow he feared for her but couldn't bring himself to speak up. "I didn't do it on purpose. I seriously don't remember most of it!"

"Better reason to watch you closely," John said, taking her other arm.

"No!" she tried to pull away but he held it tightly. She was barely 110 pounds soaking wet so very easily Sayid and John were able to hold onto her and begin walking her towards the armory. She was struggling. "No! Sawyer! Tell them!"

"Tell them what?" he called after her, unable to follow.

"Tell them I'd never hurt anyone!"

She disappeared around the corner and he heard her struggling all the way there until finally there was the sound of the armory door slamming shut and the muffled yells and poundings of her on the door. Sawyer slowly walked up behind Sayid and John who stood outside the door.

"We did the right thing, right?" John asked Sayid quietly, another sign that their little leadership plan was falling apart.

"Yes," Sayid didn't look certain as he spun the combination to make sure it was locked.

"Locking up a kid," Sawyer said quietly, leaning against the doorway. "With all those nutsos out there. And you're worried about the kid who couldn't wrestle a kitten."

Shaking his head, Sawyer turned and walked out. The hatch echoed with the sounds of small fists beating against the heavy metal door and then very quickly, it ceased.


	39. Chapter 39: Revealed

Jack didn't know where to go from here. He had searched the entire camp and found nothing, not even supplies. Whatever had happened here had happened with enough time for them to move out any supplies they did have.

Looking up at the sky, he saw it lightening. He knew if he started back now, he could get back by maybe mid day. But he hadn't found anything. What would he say when they asked where he'd gone? He had no answer, and didn't want to go back without one.

So Jack made the decision to keep walking north, down what looked like a frequently used path into the jungle. He had no way of knowing if they'd traveled it recently but he knew he couldn't just give up now.

After resting for a little and eating the last bit of food he had with him, Jack was about to stand from his place sitting just outside the largest tent when he froze.

Someone was rummaging through one of the tents. It was farther away but he definitely heard the sounds of things falling and the canvas being pushed out of the way. Standing up, he slowly crept around the burnt mount and slowly towards the tent, reaching into his belt for the gun he had with him.

As he got closer he saw things were actually being thrown out of the tent. Someone was either looking for something or trashing it. It seemed impossible to destroy this "tent village" more than it already had been.

The sun was almost completely up now as he approached the entrance. The tent only hung on two posts now and the side was collapsed in but it was pushed out as though someone was under it searching. Carefully he stepped up to the doorway.

"Don't move," said a voice behind him as the barrel of a gun was placed to his head.

Sawyer was furious as he paced outside his tent. He felt horrible knowing Satine was locked up down there but if he pursued it he'd be locked up too. Locke and Sayid had lost it, and had no idea what they were doing. They wanted to be the new leaders but were taking it too far. When the other survivors had heard about Satine being locked up from Hurley, only a few expressed concern while the others seemed relieved. Everyone except Claire didn't seem to care. She was going around telling everyone it was Sawyer who had taken her baby and that they locked Satine up because she had "predicted" it when they really should have locked up Sawyer. It took everything in Sawyer's power not to tell her the truth just to shut her up.

Kate saw Sawyer walking back and forth in front of his tent and she stood. Her leg was still painfully, more painful since Jack had hid the painkillers before he left. But it was healing and now she could walk almost without limping.

As she approached she knew that Satine was locked up and that was probably what was bothering Sawyer but she also needed to know if he'd heard anything from Jack. She'd been worried sick now that he'd been gone almost three and a half days. It seemed like a lifetime and she knew that unless he returned soon he'd run out of water and supplies.

"Hey," Kate said as she came up to Sawyer's tent. He stopped pacing and looked at her. "Um, have you heard…"

"No," Sawyer snapped. "I haven't heard from Jack."

He moodily sat down on the sand and faced the water. She carefully sat beside him, grinding her teeth as he hip bent.

"Do you think we should look for him?" Kate wondered aloud.

"And what, carry you piggy back?" he nastily added, looking down at her leg. "The doc will be fine. It's us you should be worrying about."

"Why?" Kate asked.

Sawyer knew it was a risk telling Kate but he just couldn't sit there and lie to her face. Of all people Kate knew how to keep something on the down low.

"It was Satine that hit Charlie and took the baby," Sawyer said in a low voice, looking up and down the beach for signs of other people.

"What?" Kate whispered. "Is that why she's in the armory?"

"She doesn't remember doing it. You know her she's got that weird psychic stuff going on and it was probably some kind of sign or something. I don't know but all I know is those two are nuts," Sawyer vented.

"Locke and Sayid?" she shook her head. "They're just taking over where Jack left off."

"They're trying to and failing miserably. Half of these lunatics still have guns and I don't know about you but I haven't seen Sun and Jin in a long time," Sawyer said quietly.

"Sun and Jin?" Kate seemed to be wracking her memory and realized she hadn't seen them in a while either. "But where could they go?"

"Away from here so they don't end up like Shannon," Sawyer knew it was cruel to say but he had to. "That kid in that hatch couldn't hurt anyone."

"She took a baby, Sawyer," he knew she was going to try to talk sense into him.

"She didn't hurt it!" he snapped.

"She put it in the ocean!"

Sawyer saw her point but didn't want to. He knew Kate only cared about Jack returning and that once he was back she'd figure everything would be hunky dory again. But something else was up and he saw it on her face as she stared blankly at the ocean.

"What is it?" he asked, trying to keep himself from being nasty again.

"Everything's falling apart," she said quietly. "Everything…"

Just at that moment, Michael came practically falling out of the jungle. He had his usual, glassy eyes as he had since Walt had come back. Now Walt wasn't in sight and Michael looked hysterical.

"Have you seen Walt?" he screamed at them even though he was only feet away. He had fallen and now got shakily to his feet. "WALT!"

"He's probably wandering somewhere near the hatch," Kate said although Sawyer heard the alarm in her voice. Walt had been weird ever since he got back and walked without really watching where he was going. It was easy to imagine him just wandering off and getting lost.

"He's not! I've been looking for an hour!" Michael looked near breaking down. He had gotten his son back but his son seemed a different person. Now Walt was gone again. Sawyer felt an obligation to help him find him.

"Come on," Sawyer stood and helped Kate up. "We'll look back near the hatch you check the beach and ask everyone if they've seen him."

Kate hadn't let go of Sawyer's hand as he pulled her into the jungle.

"Drop your gun," said the voice behind Jack. "I said drop it."

He quickly dropped his gun to the ground and put his hands up. The voice sounded feminine and the person rummaging through the tent had stopped and slowly stepped out.

It was a young girl probably of only fifteen or sixteen. She had long lanky dark hair and a long thin face. Her eyes were brilliantly blue and somehow, Jack felt he had seen them before.

She was holding what looked like a bottle of vodka and her eyes looked fearful.

"Who are you?" asked the voice holding the gun. The girl remained where she was, watching.

"I was in a plane crash, flight 815. We crashed here about two months ago. We're living on that side of the island," he pointed. "But I think you know that."

She took the gun away from his head and pushed him aside, rushing to the girl and grabbing the vodka.

"That's for Dominic!" shouted the girl as the woman grabbed the bottle and took a swig. She had shoulder length brown hair and was wearing a skirt that wasn't made from the same beige clothes that the younger girl wore. Something was familiar about the woman…

"You were on the plane," Jack suddenly said, his eyes wide. "The flight attendant. Cindy."

Cindy looked at Jack with wide eyes and thrust the bottle back at the girl. She raised the rifle again and pointed it straight at Jack.

"Yes, and you're the moron who blew up half of our group," she snapped angrily at him. "You're the one who shot us."

"We lost people too. It wasn't a group plan, it was something one or two of us did without consulting the others," he said quickly, realizing it was probably very stupid of him to admit who he really was.

"What are you doing here?" asked the younger girl. Jack couldn't shake the feeling that she was somehow familiar.

"I was looking for you. I know you were in the hatch, but you ran," he began.

"When someone is shooting at you, you don't stop to shake hands," snapped Cindy, keeping the rifle steady at her eye level pointed at him. He kept his hands up.

"I came to invite you back. We have food and supplies and if someone is sick," he looked at the bottle of vodka, "I'm a doctor."

The two of them exchanged looks and the younger one looked suddenly hopeful.

"You're a real doctor? Not like a dentist or something?" Cindy asked, lowering the gun slightly.

"I'm a neuro surgeon," Jack said.

"You're going to come with us but we have to blind fold you," said Cindy quickly, pulling a scarf from around her waist. She threw it at the younger girl who quickly walked to Jack without fear and tied it around his eyes. As she did so, he felt her very close to him and heard her whisper something but he missed it because Cindy kept talking.

"Walk," Cindy snapped.

Jack walked forward and almost fell. The young girl took his arm and led him as they started through the jungle.

"WALT!" shouted Kate as they circle the perimeter of the hatch. "Walt!"

"He's not here," Sawyer shook his head. "That kid wanders like a zombie he'll be halfway across the island by now."

"Well then we have to go after him. Michael is too distraught to do this alone," she said, looking slightly pale. "I…"

She stopped and her eyes widened. Sawyer looked worried but she shushed him.

"Do you hear that?" she asked.

Sawyer listened. For a moment he swore Kate was losing her mind but then he heard it. It sounded like crying, like someone hysterically bawling. They looked around and saw nothing. Then Sawyer saw something glint in the bushes a little bit away.

He took off and came upon what looked like a very small pipe coming up and out of the ground. They had never seen it before because it was in the middle of some ground that became swamplike after the rain. Now it wasn't too bad as they looked down into it and listened to sobs.

"It's Satine," Sawyer said quietly, his eyes unfocused. "This must be the vent that leads to the armory."

Kate looked discomforted and started to walk away. Sawyer remained for a moment just staring at the pipe and then followed Kate.

"Hey," he grabbed her arm, the sobs still echoing in his ears. "I know it's not kosher but what if we asked the kid if she knows where Walt is?"

"She's been in there since last night…"

"You know she knows more than she lets on with that whole psychic thing. She probably knows where he is. Remember she told Michael where Walt was before?" Sawyer sounded hopeful and Kate hoped he wouldn't get his hopes up.

She gave a sigh and nodded and let him lead her into the hatch where he approached the door to the armory only to be stopped by John.

"What do you need?" John asked, grossing his arms.

"I need to talk to the kid," Sawyer said as Kate stood behind him looking uncertain.

"We can't let anyone talk to her until she's calmed down," John said, motioning to the door from behind which they could hear her crying.

"Let me talk to her," Sawyer growled and he heard Kate back away slightly.

John gave Sawyer a look but seemed to understand that this wasn't the time to fight him. Turning his back to Sawyer, he turned the combination and pulled the door open.

"I'll go," Sawyer said, turning to Kate. She nodded and backed up as John swung the large door out.

Stepping inside, the door was closed very sharply behind him and then he turned to face Satine. But before he could she had rushed to him and embraced him, trembling as she hugged him and cried again. He looked down at her for a moment and just let her hug him. He put a hand on her back and took a deep breath. He felt incredibly sorry for her, more than he ever had in his life. Somehow, he for once had sympathy.

After a few moments he pulled her arms from around him and sat her down on the low bench which also served as a makeshift bed. She was gasping for breath, her eyes very red and puffy, her skin pale. She didn't look well, even worse than she had before. In the back of his mind Sawyer wished Jack would come back.

"How ya doin?" Sawyer asked and she let out a tiny laugh, barely able to breathe she'd been crying so hard. She was visibly trembling.

"I can't stay in here," she whispered, her voice shaking hard. "I'm claustrophobic. And I didn't do anything. And…I've been seeing…things."

Sawyer's heart tightened and he looked hard at her.

"Do you know where Walt is?" he asked firmly.

"Yes," she said softly.

"Where?"

She looked down for a moment then up at Sawyer.

"With Jack."


	40. Chapter 40: Testing

Jack had been walking with his eyes covered and the young girl he now knew as Alex holding his arm for almost half an hour before they finally stopped.

"Where are we?" Jack asked, looking around.

"SHUT UP!" snapped Cindy.

Very slowly he was led forward and he felt many trees alongside him and he had to step through thick brush. He went slowly, hesitant as to where to step. They stopped again and there was the sound of heavy metal doors opening, and then the sunlight seemed to disappear and it was suddenly cool and damp.

They finally took the blindfold off and Jack's eyes adjusted to the darkness. They were walking down a long ramp in some kind of underground tunnel. It was huge and wide and at the very end was a lit hallway.

"Stop," Cindy said, causing Alex and Jack behind her to stop short.

Cindy listened and there were voices coming from down the hall. Jack remembered Cindy from the plane, and how calm and kind she had been. Was this how she was now, a tough woman fighting to survive?

"I told them to keep their voices down," Cindy grumbled as they walked along one of the hallways. The hall had doors on either side and was completely white, almost blindingly white. Almost all the doors were closed except one at the far end, which led to a wide room that looked mysteriously like an operating room with a large light above an empty space where a table might have been.

They turned into one of the rooms that consisted of only one broken old rocking chair and pale blue walls with many dusty outlines as though pictures had been on the wall. On the ground sat the remaining survivors. There were only four of them. Two older women in their fourties who looked like sisters, a young woman maybe about twenty seven who looked quite ill and then a boy of only about eighteen lying on the ground against the wall.

Jack diagnosed it before he had gotten any closer. There was a large wound on the boy's side and it was definitely a bullet wound. Blood soaked makeshift gauze and from the yellow color of the boy's skin it was obvious the infection had gotten into his bloodstream. He was in sepsis and without antibiotics would die.

"Here," Alex rushed over to the boy and began pouring the vodka on the boy's wound. He screamed in pain and she pulled away.

"Make him drink it," Jack said suddenly, moving to kneel beside Alex but a sharp arm pulled him back up.

"I didn't say you could move," Cindy snapped. It was so obvious who she was imitating, who she wanted to be. And it was so obvious that it wasn't her.

"He's going to die unless we get him back to my camp," Jack barked at her as Alex bent over the boy worriedly. His face was pale and his eyes sunken in. He'd been like this for almost four days now. "I have antibiotics I can give him."

"We're not going anywhere. You'll have to treat him here," said Cindy, shouldering her gun.

"Then he'll die," Jack said firmly, crossing his arms.

"What do you mean with Jack?"

Sawyer watched as Satine drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She was still shaking but had stopped crying and now looked terrified.

"I saw him and Jack walking," she said quietly. "They had people with them."

"Where?" demanded Sawyer. He didn't want to pry but he wasn't sure if this was a premonition of hers or if it had already happened. "Did you recognize it?"

"No. It's just the jungle, probably more inland because it's really dense," she said, her eyes rising to Sawyer. "You can't tell them I told you. They'll keep me in here forever."

"I'm working on letting you out. But I have to be careful or I'll be thrown in here too and that won't help either of us," he saw she looked fearful and forced a smile. "Chill kid. I'm an expert."

"Jack hasn't come back yet, has he?" she asked, grimacing slightly. He knew she was in pain and that her wound needed treating but she would never admit it to him. It was some kind of unspoken agreement between them to never speak of injuries or pain.

"No. But I was hoping you could help with that?" he seemed hesitant.

"I'm not a friggin psychic you go to and give money and I'll tell you everything you've ever eaten. I don't know how I know Walt is with Jack. If none of these stupid things had come true I'd say I was going nuts and seeing things."

She looked upset and Sawyer didn't want to upset her more. He knew John was lurking just outside the door and sighed.

"We're going to try to find Walt," he said quietly. "Michael is nuts. He's going to have some kind of breakdown soon. You know how Walt has been."

"Walt is fine. He's not hurt," she insisted.

"It doesn't matter. If we don't at least try, I'm afraid of what Mike will do. I'll be back."

He went to stand and she grabbed his arm and threw herself at him again, hugging him tightly as though not wanting him to leave. Sawyer wished he could just take her hand and walk out with her, punch Locke in the face and tell anyone who opposed him could talk to the end of a gun. But he was overrun. He could never do that because he'd be thrown right in there with her and nothing would be solved. Locke and Sayid would keep them in there until or if Jack got back and even then it wasn't ensured they'd be let out.

"Don't go," she pleaded and he felt horrible. He pried her off of him and she stood there as he walked to the door and knocked on it.

Locke opened it quickly and just as Sawyer left, he looked back and saw her face as it was slammed shut again.

"Walt is with Jack," Sawyer said quietly to Kate who was sitting just outside the door. She looked at him as though searching his face for emotion but there was none. "He's fine for now but we need to find Mike."

"He's with Jack?"

Michael had been sitting in the chair in front of the computer and was not standing behind the table. Sawyer nodded and Michael sat back down with a hand over his heart.

"Then we know he's safe."

Everyone was watching Michael who remained sitting there staring at the computer screen as though waiting for something to happen. His hand was over his heart still and he seemed to be calming down.

"I guess it's okay then," Kate said as she and Sawyer headed back into the main living area. "She seemed to know where he was."

"She's dying."

Kate looked confusedly at Sawyer who shook his head and leaned on the counter opposite her and put his face in his hands.

"I know it. I can see it in her face. I was there once, I was sick like that. You don't think it's there, you don't think you're that sick. But she is," he sighed deeply. "She needs Jack."

"Sawyer, how are you so sure…"

"We had how many people die on this island of infection?" Sawyer almost snapped at Kate, looking angrily at her. "That Marshal friend of yours, some other guy. Then I almost kicked the bucket. I know it when I see it."

"Jack didn't take the medicine with him. We have it here," she said, pointing at the bedroom.

"We don't know what is what. There's no point giving her something if we'll end up killing her," he looked around.

"Sawyer," Kate looked at him. "I was on it too."

Sawyer looked away.

"My camp is about a day away," Jack said, examining the boy quickly, whose name was Dominic. "If we make a stretcher or find something to make one with, we can move him and get there even more quickly."

"It's one of you who shot at him!" snapped Cindy angrily. She clutched her gun. Jack knew she was scared and that the idea of moving from this "safe place" was hard, but they had to do it. Dominic would die if they didn't. Jack suddenly had a flashback of Boone, standing over him, watching him die without being able to do anything.

"Help me," Jack said, turning to Alex who was crying beside Dominic. "We need to find things to make a stretcher."

"There are some long poles in the room down the hall," said one of the older women against the wall.

Ignoring Cindy, who was standing there clutching her gun, Jack pulled Alex up and out of the room. As they hurried down to the large room at the end Jack stopped.

"Alex…" he looked at her. It seemed to be occurring to him. Something about her reminded him of someone. His eyes widened as he realized.

But what could he say? She was looking at him curiously, her eyes red rimmed and she looked sick with exhaustion.

Shaking his head they continued on.

They roughly made a stretcher using two long poles from the large room and by stretching a blanket across it. Carefully Jack moved the boy into the stretcher and when he had tested it and made sure it wouldn't break, stood up.

"We can make it before tomorrow morning," he said to them all. Cindy had been standing by the door looking worried. The two women on the floor just looked at Jack apprehensively.

Very slowly they stood. Cindy looked shocked and Jack knew she had probably talked to them while he and Alex were putting the stretcher together. Now as they walked towards him, Cindy let out an angry grunt.

"There's no one to fight anymore," Jack said quietly to her. "There's no point in being separated."

"You weren't taken, you don't know," she snapped at him. He saw her eyes filling. "You weren't snatched away and kept here!"

"Is that what happened to you all? You were taken from the other survivors from the tail of the plane?" Jack asked curiously. He had never asked before, figuring that they had all been on the plane when he realized it made perfect sense that they could be the others.

"Plane?" said Alex curiously.

"No, not all of us," Cindy gave Alex a glare. "I was a flight attendant. These two were on the plane but them," she pointed her gun at Alex and the younger woman lying half asleep against the wall, "they weren't on the plane."

Jack's suspicions only grew as Cindy continued speaking.

"They were here and they were helping them. And when they abandoned this place, they helped kill the ones left behind," she looked furious but beyond that Jack could see she had been through something traumatic. "They had us drugged for weeks at a time and now they're all dead."

"I didn't!" Alex retorted. "I saved that girl, I made sure she got back!"

"If they had gotten the baby none of this would have happened!" shouted Cindy angrily.

"Wait!" Jack shouted. "The baby? Are you talking about Claire's baby?"

"Was that her name?" Alex said. "They were going to kill her and take the baby and use it for the testing."

"Testing?" feeling very confused, Jack looked around. He wanted to get moving but had to know.

"They used us all for testing. The infection was getting worse and the medicine for it wasn't right. They hadn't gotten it right yet," she said quietly. "I was used too when I was little. But not anymore because I built a resistance to it."

"Resistance," Cindy laughed and Alex seemed to shoot her a warning glance. "All the young ones that were tested became psychic, could read minds and stuff."

"Not anymore. I can't anymore ever since they stopped," Alex said, looking fearfully at Jack whose eyes were wide. "Everyone else died when they tested it."

"Because you got too old. It became dangerous for them to risk you seeing what they had planned," said Cindy coldly.

Jack's mind was reeling. All of this, all of the others taking the tailies, it was all for testing? Everything in this place, the hospital-like environment was used as a lab. That's why they wanted Claire's baby. It was why they took Alex. But something wasn't making sense. If Alex had psychic powers when they were tested, why didn't everyone else? If they were taken for testing, why couldn't they all read minds?

Voicing this question, he got confused stares.

"Because it was only on the children," said Cindy quietly, her eyes glazing over. "Any adults that were tested died."

"How many children…where are they?" Jack felt very overwhelmed and wished they could leave.

"We had the brother and sister. The boy died a few weeks after they took me. The girl lived but we haven't seen her in days. We lost her when we were running back here. It's possible she got hit, but we don't know," Cindy said. She was no longer angry but looked expressionless.

Jack looked around at them. He wondered if the little girl was alive.

"Okay, let's move out," Jack said, moving to one end of the stretcher. Alex went to the other and they lifted him carefully. He moaned in pain.

The two women walked out the door ahead of him but Cindy remained where she was. The woman against the wall hadn't moved and somehow, Jack had a feeling she wasn't going to. He told Alex to wait and they put down the stretcher for a moment and he walked to the woman.

Bending in front of her, he gently shook her arm. She seemed to be unconscious. He shook her again and she didn't move. Slowly he held his hand to her throat.

Standing up, he turned around and faced them. Just the look on his face told them she was gone. He didn't want to ask them how she'd gotten sick or if she even was sick or inured. He was afraid of the answer.

They carried Dominic down the hallway and when they came to the ramp they had to stop at the top to open the door. The two women seemed to want to help while Cindy had remained behind, not following them up the ramp.

"Is he going to die?" Alex asked quietly as they stepped out into the sunshine.

"No," Jack said firmly as they began trudging through the jungle carefully. "He's not going to die."

And Jack only hoped he could keep that promise.


	41. Chapter 41: Infected

As they daylight faded and night fell around them, Jack's hope faded as well. He knew this boy would not live to see their camp without some kind of antibiotic. He was septic and getting worse. His skin was tinged yellow and he shivered and trembled, sweat running down his face. Every so often Alex would wipe his brow with her shirt.

"Let's rest here," Jack said, laying down the stretcher.

They all sat and water was passed around. Jack was watching Dominic who suddenly had grown very still. Then suddenly, without warning, he seized up, his teeth grinding down. Blood poured from his mouth. Alex let out a scream and jumped back.

"He bit his tongue," Jack said, hurrying forward, knowing it was the blood that had scared her. "He's seizing."

"What's that mean?" Alex was shaking, her eyes wide and filled with tears that kept running down her dirty face.

"His body is shutting down. The infection has reached his heart," Jack put Dominic's head on his lap and tried to hold it straight so he wouldn't snap his neck. His legs and arms shook and his back arched. Jack could feel the boy dying, could feel the young body slowly losing it's energy. This was it, this was the last part.

As quickly as it had started, it stopped. Dominic lay still and his eyes remained closed. Jack leaned down and listened.

"No," Alex whispered, her hand to her mouth. One of the women put a hand on her shoulder and she pushed it away.

"I'm sorry," Jack placed Dominic's head back on the ground. "I'm so sorry."

Alex covered her face and sobbed into her hands. Jack looked down at the boy. It was not the infection from his wound that had killed him. Jack knew this but was afraid to ask what else could have possibly happened to him.

"We need to bury him," Jack said softly.

Everyone looked at Jack. He knew he'd end up being the one to do it. But he had to ask something.

"He was sick before wasn't he," Jack whispered, looking from Alex to Cindy to the two women. "He didn't die from that wound."

Cindy looked away. She hadn't said anything since they'd left. Alex continued to cry. He felt terrible for her, knowing this boy was probably the closest thing she had to a friend on this island.

"They injected us all with it but only a few got sick," said the blonder woman of the two. "They said it depended on your DNA. If you were a certain kind, you'd get sick."

"Like survival of the fittest?" Jack inclined. It was coming together in his head. "Wait, so it was like sorting out those who weren't strong enough?"

"Yes," Cindy said softly. "When you're first injected you go into a coma for a day or so. They take that time to test other things on you, see how strong you are. Then when we woke up they monitored us. If we didn't get sick, we were okay and allowed to survive."

"But he was new," Alex said through her sobs, looking at him lying before Jack. "He was only here for a few months. They just gave it to him last week and he got worse and worse especially with that cut."

"You said they only gave it to the children," Jack felt suddenly confused.

"To protect them from it. If they're given it when they're young enough they build up a resistance to it. The children were given it every day. That's why they showed psychic abilities," said the darker haired woman whose name was Joann. "We don't know what this drug does but it either kills you, makes you a psychic, or does nothing to you."

"They're trying to create the perfect race," Jack said more to himself than others. "It's why they wanted Claire's baby it's why they took Rousseau's…"

He stopped, his eyes on Alex who hadn't been listening.

"They want to make the children strong enough to survive and they're testing the adults to see which are worthy," he was ranting, looking around wildly. "It all makes sense."

"No it doesn't," Alex looked angrily at Jack. "This doesn't make sense!" She pointed with a shaking finger to Dominic.

Jack looked down at the boy sadly. He wondered if he had been taken from his family, or whether he'd been raised on this island. Not very much wanting to know, Jack stood.

"I'll bury him and we'll move on. We need to get to my camp," Jack said, looking around for something to dig with.

"They'll find us eventually," Alex said softly, her knees drawn up to her chest. Jack had a sudden flashback of Satine doing exactly the same thing.

"Who?" they all looked at her as her eyes seemed to glaze over.

"Them."

"Where are you going?"

Hurley stopped midstride on his way out the door of the main room.

"To the bathroom?" Hurley said confusedly to Sayid who had been standing by the doorway. "Sorry, do I need a hall pass?"

"No," Sayid looked ashamed. "Go ahead."

"Dude, why do you need to stand there like that. You remind me of those soldiers that stand outside the queen's castle or whatever," Hurley pointed to the rifle over Sayid's shoulder.

"We cannot be too careful," looking around, Sayid seemed worried.

"Right," nodding, Hurley continued out the door just as Kate came in. She wasn't limping as bad but she gritted her teeth as she strode to the counter.

"What are you doing?" Sayid asked just as Sawyer pushed past him in pursuit of Kate.

"You're not going," Sawyer said angrily as Kate grabbed some fruit out of the place they'd been keeping some. She shoved it in her bag. "Kate!"

"You heard that gunshot!" she said, her voice very high as she picked her bag up and shoved a water bottle in it. "Jack's out there! What if he's hurt?"

"What if it's not him?" Sawyer asked as she strode out of the doorway again, past Sayid who looked confused but didn't say a word. Sawyer followed her all the way to the door and out into the jungle. "What if it's someone else?"

"I have a gun," she snapped. "I'll be fine."

"I'm coming with you," Sawyer fell into stride beside her. She didn't object but he still didn't like this idea. "Let's give him another few hours."

"We've given him five days, Sawyer," she angrily spat at him. Sawyer noticed her limp was heavier and her face paler. She wouldn't get far. "Five days alone in the jungle."

"How do you know he's alone? How do you know he didn't find them?"

She looked at him with wide eyes.

"What if he found them and they killed him? We'll never know what happened to him if we don't try," she said more quietly as they moved onto the path.

"So you're looking for his body?"

Kate gave him a look that told him it would be best if he stopped talking now.

They continued into the jungle and Sawyer kept glancing at Kate. He knew she had no idea where she was going. They had only gotten a few yards from the end of the path when Kate stopped short.

"You okay?"

"Shut up!" she hissed.

They listened. The darkness that had fallen was heavy and the wind blew the canopy above them, throwing strands of moonlight on the ground. Sawyer wasn't sure what they were listening for and then he heard it.

Whispers, almost like many people hissing into each other's ears. People were talking all around them, it was a familiar sound they had both heard before. Then, almost like he had appeared out of the moonlight, Walt appeared on the path before them.

"Walt?" Kate said, unsure if she was seeing things. He stood there motionless almost one hundred yards away. "What are you doing out here?"

He didn't say a word, just stared. Sawyer felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and goosebumps spread all over his body. A shiver ran up his spine as he watched Walt beckon thing with one hand and turn and vanish down the path.

"Walt!" Kate took off after him, running as fast as she could with her injured leg. Sawyer ran after her, surprised at her speed. They flew down the path and suddenly stopped as a bullet hit a tree less than a foot from Sawyer's head and the gunshot echoed in the air. They both hit the ground.

Jack was sweating heavily as he filled in the hole over Dominic's body. He felt bad that they couldn't bring him with them to the beach and have a proper burial but with the heat and the length they had to travel, it would be too much of a burden and the body would begin to decay. Besides, Jack knew Alex couldn't handle much more.

He had finished and sat back, breathing hard and leaning against a tree. The others had stayed where they had stopped to rest and Jack had gone off a few feet. He was slightly angered that none of them wanted to help but remembered they probably felt he owed it to them since it had been one of his people that shot Dominic.

Slowly, Jack stood. His back and arms were aching and he knew he'd be in pain in the morning. He limped back to the place where they had built a very small fire and he sat beside Alex, who remained in her curled up position.

"We should get going," Jack said, seeing the two women had dozed off against some trees. "We can't stay here, the jungle is too dangerous."

"What do you know about danger?" Cindy growled in a low voice, her eyes on the small flames. "You know nothing of danger."

"I've lived on this island the same amount of time as you," Jack retorted, slightly bitter and exhausted.

"You weren't tortured. You weren't tested and prodded like some kind of animal," she turned her blank eyes to Jack. She looked furious and almost completely mentally gone. Jack remembered how the tents had looked destroyed. He remembered something about the drug causing some people to go insane.

"We just need to get back and everything will be fine. We have a shelter and food and we even have a psychiatrist," Jack said quietly, hoping to calm her down. Alex was awake and suddenly looked very worried. She had grabbed Jack's wrist and was tugging gently as though warning him to move away from Cindy. Jack saw her eyes looked slightly dilated and…was blood at the corner of her mouth?

"Cindy, do you feel alright?" Alex asked, suddenly standing. She yanked Jack up with her.

"You…" Cindy seemed to be having trouble forming words. She stood also but wavered slightly but her grip on her rifle never faltered. "Youkilled…"

"Run," Alex whispered, kicking the two women to wake them up. As soon as they saw Cindy their eyes widened and they scrambled to their feet. Cindy suddenly cocked her gun and pointed it straight at Jack. "RUN!"

Jack ducked just as she fired, missing him and blasting a smaller tree apart. He yanked Alex's arm hard and they flew through the jungle. The two women were close behind as they ran. Behind them, Cindy seemed to be yelling incoherently. Alex was now pulling Jack along as though Jack had no idea how imperative it was to keep running.

"What's happening?" Jack shouted to Alex as she yanked him through the pitch dark woods. They had reached a particularly thick patch and had to slow to climb through the brambles.

"She's gone mad! I should have realized, after they took her inside that they were giving it to her! She changed, she was meaner but I thought it was just what was happening," Alex's voice was high but strong. They got out of the thicker part and she pulled him across a small clearing and looked back over her shoulder. Suddenly she yanked him hard down and they hit the dirt as bullets flew over their heads, hitting a low rock wall before them. Jack recognized it, they were nearing camp.

"We're almost there!" Jack shouted to Alex, who yanked him up again as they continued running. The two women had vanished, and Jack didn't want to look back. They were running through familiar jungle now and Jack swore he could see light dancing through the trees, the light of a fire on the beach.

Gunshots fired behind them and Jack felt something graze his arm and pain flared but he ignored it as they ran. She was gaining on them and shouting horribly behind them. They stumbled out onto the path and suddenly Jack saw two people lying on the ground.

"Sawyer? Kate?"

Kate looked up. Sawyer had yanked her down so hard it had caught her by surprise. Now she looked up and saw Jack standing there with a young girl in tow, his arm bleeding and his face sweaty.

"RUN!" Alex screamed as Cindy burst from the trees. Her face was nothing like before. It was now smeared with blood from her mouth and her eyes were bulging and yellow. Her coordination was off as she was running on a slant and she seemed to have cut herself badly on the leg and hadn't noticed. Yet she could perfectly cock the gun again and aim it at them.

They tore down the path fast, Sawyer helping Kate along. She was practically stumbling and Alex was still pulling Jack. They came flying out of the jungle and past the hatch, down the path and onto the beach.

"SAYID!" screamed Kate, seeing him standing by Claire's tent.

He ran over just as Cindy came flying out of the jungle behind them. They all turned to face her, stumbling backwards down the beach. Sayid raised his gun.

"DON'T!" Alex screamed.

Cindy had her gun raised also, straight at Sayid's face. Quickly, almost in a flash, Sayid had swung his gun and hit her hard in the head, causing her to let out an indistinguishable shout and then she fell to the sand.

They all collapsed, gasping for breath. Kate held her leg painfully as Sawyer knelt, panting hard. Jack held the grazed wound on his arm closed to stop the bleeding as he stared at Cindy lying unconscious on the sand.

This was what had happened to the rest of them. What would have happened if there hadn't been an explosion and they'd taken over the hatch? Would everyone have gotten infected? Was this why Rousseau had killed her team?

Slowly Jack looked over at Alex who was kneeling. She was the only survivor. Where the other two women had went, Jack didn't know. It was possible they'd run the other way. Maybe they'd find their way back but he doubted it. Somehow he knew they hadn't made it.

Carefully Jack stood and helped Alex to her feet. She was trembling as she stood there and slowly her eyes traveled around to Claire's tent where John stood beside Claire who was clutching Aaron to her chest, her eyes wide. Claire went across the sand, her eyes looking shocked as she came to a stop right in front of Alex.

"Hello again," Alex said quite pleasantly, still breathing heavily.

Everyone just exchanged looks.


	42. Chapter 42: Foresight

The door to the armory burst open and Satine was jolted from her doze as she sat on the bench with her arms around her legs. Squinting through the light she saw several shapes in the doorway, silhouetted against the bright light of the inside of the hatch.

"Get her out," said someone sharply.

Someone came quickly in and seized her arm, yanking her up and out of the door. They seemed to throw her quite unceremoniously and she would have fallen to the ground has Sawyer not caught her first.

"You okay, kid?" Sawyer asked as she looked up. She saw Jack and John dragging a lifeless woman into the armory and then slamming the door, spinning the combination.

"Who was that?" she asked shakily. She stilled remained where she was, with his arm around her to keep her from falling. Sawyer saw she looked pale. "Jack?"

Jack turned to face her and he immediately looked concerned but faked a smile and then looked back at John.

"We can't let her out," said Jack breathlessly. Satine noticed there was a young girl she didn't recognize standing by the door. "She's dangerous."

"If she's infected, she shouldn't even be in here," John said angrily.

"We don't know if it's contagious," said Kate who was sitting in a chair nearby, panting.

"It's not," said Alex. She stepped forward into the room, her eyes avoiding Satine. "It's only through blood."

There was a silence and for a moment everyone stood there as though unsure of what to do. Then John spoke.

"Who is she?"

Everyone looked at Alex who seemed worried. She backed up a bit.

"Alex," Jack said quietly, as though waiting for them to realize. "Her name is _Alex_."

Sawyer wasn't sure why the doctor was talking like some kind of an idiot but Satine's eyes widened. She was a sharp girl and suddenly she knew.

"How old are you?" Satine asked.

"Sixteen," Alex said quietly.

It seemed to click. Sawyer realized and almost fell over. John's eyes became spheres and Kate's jaw dropped. They all stood there staring at Alex.

"Um, have we met?" Alex asked curiously, looking around.

"We have to find Rousseau," Kate said importantly, standing up.

"She could be on the other side of the island for all we know. With all the commotion she may have gone farther away from it," John said conclusively, his arms crossed as he continued to stare at Alex.

"Wait a second," Alex looked slightly angry. "What are you talking about?"

No one wanted to tell her the truth. None of them had any idea what kind of civilization she'd been raised in. She seemed normal enough but who had raised her, what had she been taught? And did she have any idea that she was taken from her mother as an infant and never saw her again?

"You let her out?"

Sayid had come in. He had waited outside to make sure no one followed them and now he came in with his gun over his shoulder, his eyes on Satine.

"We couldn't leave her in there," Sawyer snapped.

"Sayid," Kate stood and crossed the room. "Come with me."

Sayid looked skeptical as Kate led him out. Sawyer knew she was going to take him to find Rousseau. But for now, what would they do?

"We need you to tell us all you know about this infection," Jack said quietly.

"There's not much to it. It came from the vaccine that was originally supposed to get rid of it. They tested it on children first, and when the children lived they moved on to adults. But depending on the adult, it had different effects. On some people it made them completely mad, and others it just made them sick and killed them. There were side effects too. The kids, when they grew up, they kind of…were different. Some of them were like genius's, some were really strong and others had like psychic abilities," she seemed nervous as she told them this.

"When were you last contaminated?" asked John.

"They contaminated all of us before they left to come here," Alex said softly, looking down. "They knocked us all out, contaminated us, then left us."

"Why do you think they didn't bring you along?" asked Jack curiously, looking back at the armory door.

"I don't know. But the one that were left behind…most of them went crazy. Maybe they knew, but almost everyone was killed…" she seemed to get upset and put a hand over her face.

"Alright. Let's get cleaned up and we'll get you something to eat. Sawyer, stay here and guard the door. Come get me if she wakes up," Jack ordered.

If this had not been a bad situation, Sawyer would have told the doctor to go do something to himself for ordering Sawyer around. But not wanting to cause any problems, Sawyer agreed, taking a seat in the chair Kate had been sitting in.

Jack went forward and took Alex's arm. As they passed Satine, Alex stopped.

"You," Alex looked suddenly puzzled. "Have we met?"

"No," Satine said, not looking directly at Alex.

"Come on," Jack said, pulling Alex along.

Satine looked over at Sawyer who just shook his head.

"We never found Walt," Kate said to Sayid as they continued walking through the jungle. "Well we saw him but he disappeared."

"When Michael hears he'll be distraught," Sayid concluded although he sounded bitter.

"We need to find Rousseau," Kate seemed to realize Sayid's malcontent. "Because if anything happens to Alex, if she goes mad also, I want her to have at least met her."

"Why all of a sudden do you care?" asked Sayid angrily. Kate knew he had never quite forgiven her for what she and Sawyer did. "Why should any of us care?"

"You cared when Claire's baby was taken," said Kate quite simply. "This is the same."

"No it's not. We don't know anything about this girl. She could be dangerous, she could be contagious and we're marching her around. That woman in the armory got so sick her mind went crazy…"

"It's exactly what Rousseau was talking about with her team. They went nuts too," insisted Kate.

"But we don't know how they contracted it. When they landed here, no one was infecting them. It was sixteen years ago," Sayid seemed angry as they continued walking through the dark.

"How do you know no one was here sixteen years ago? You assume that whoever did this, who had that laboratory has been here as long as us. But did you see those facilities? The hatch, the place where Claire was taken, those took years to build. They're underground. And they're not new," she shook her head. "There's more to the story than we know."

"Yes, obviously," snapped Sayid.

Suddenly he stopped. Kate looked at him as he stood there, listening hard, his eyes wide.

"I see a fire," he said quietly.

"Where are you from?" Jack asked quietly as he dressed a wound on Alex's right arm. She had cut it running through the woods. Jack knew his own arm needed tending to but he didn't very much feel like stitching his own arm at the moment.

"What do you mean?" she asked quietly, letting him work and not really showing that it hurt at all.

"I mean, where were you before you were here? Where did you grow up?" he asked gently, not wanting to sound like he was interrogating her.

"I…" she seemed confused. "I grew up here, in the compound. My mother gave me up to them for science. They used me for their tests."

Jack didn't want to imagine her reaction to the truth, to the fact that she was stolen from her mother.

"You've never left this island?" Jack asked.

"No, I have. One time I had to leave to go to the mainland. We stayed there for a few weeks because there was a monsoon. Then we came back," she seemed very innocent, very naïve.

"Did you go to school at all? Did anyone teach you?" he asked as he finished taping down the bandage.

"Yeah. I went to classes and stuff," she seemed curious. "Why?"

"We crashed here," Jack explained. "Our plane was flying from Sydney to Los Angeles and we crashed here."

"I knew there was a plane crash but I didn't know you were on it," she said, taking her arm off the table and looking at him. "We thought everyone died."

"Did you know the guy who was in this hatch?" asked Jack.

"No. We only found out about it after you guys were in it. We thought you were the people from the team," she said simply, as though this was the most logical explanation.

"Team?" Jack was confused. He began putting his stuff away.

"About five years ago, some of the people who worked in the compound left. They were going to go back to the mainland and threatened to shut it down. Us kids had no idea what was going on, but I realize now that a lot of people died. But a lot of people escaped too and they had no way off the island so they made camp. They started trying to sabotage the tests, they'd kidnap the kids and start fires. So when Claire came to stay, we figured she was one of them. Little did we know that she was with you guys. Dominic and I knew what Ethan and the other scientists were planning. They were going to use her baby, they needed more test subjects and they finally had one because we had all grown up. They were infecting it before it was even born!"

Jack sat there, staring at her with wide eyes.

"But Dominic and I had to stop it. We had realized what these people were doing was wrong when we went to the mainland. People didn't test each other there. No one died there. Plus we knew they'd just let Claire die after giving birth. So I went to get her and together Dominic and I carried her as far as we could go. But they caught us on our way back and tortured us. I didn't tell, but Dominic…he told. I didn't know she got away, though. I figured they'd found her, took the baby, and killed her."

"No, she's fine," Jack nodded.

He felt slightly sick as he stood up and picked up his bag. She seemed to have no idea what was happening and how bad it was. There were others that were alive, there were more people on this island and they obviously weren't nice. And she said they'd made camp near here. But how come they hadn't seen them?

"The people…the team that broke off. Are you sure they're still here?" asked Jack.

"Yeah, we saw them a few days ago. They're hostile now. We think they've been infected too because they never were so viscous. But we've been finding our people dead everywhere. Their bodies were in pieces…"

Jack realized she thought that the remains of the people from the explosion were victims of the team. He couldn't tell her. He just didn't have the heart. Sighing, he gave her a grim smile.

"Come on. I'll introduce you to everyone," he said.

"Jack?" she stood slowly, looking at the doorway to the computer room where Sawyer and Satine sat. "That girl…"

"Satine?"

"Yeah. She…she looks really familiar," Alex looked confused. "I feel like I know her."

"She wasn't on the plane. She fell off a cruise ship," he explained, not feeling like getting into the whole story. "We found her on the beach."

"There's something about her," Alex kept her eyes transfixed on the doorway so long that Jack went forward and took her arm, pulling her towards the exit.

"Yeah," Jack said quietly. "There's _something _about her.

"She's going to die, isn't she?"

Sawyer looked over at Satine who was sitting at the computer. He was sitting in a chair against the wall beside the heavy door to the armory.

"Probably. It is an infection," Sawyer shrugged and sighed.

"How do we know it's not contagious?" asked Satine softly. She didn't look any better but Sawyer seemed to think she didn't look worse. Just tired.

"Because then that other kid would have it too," he said simply, closing his eyes. "Done with the questions?"


	43. Chapter 43: The Past Revealed

Sawyer flew from the hatch, flying through the jungle. His mind was racing, praying that Jack would be at the beach. If Walt was hurt they'd have to hurry, because no one knew if her vision was of the present or past.

He ran so fast out onto the beach that he had to catch his breath before looking around for Jack. Up the beach he saw movement around the water tent. He darted towards it and skidded to a stop outside it.

"Jack," Sawyer panted, seeing Jack bending over the tarp filling his bottle. "Satine…"

"Why aren't you guarding the armory?" Jack asked Sawyer angrily.

"Satine said Walt is hurt," Sawyer could barely breathe, he leaned heavily against the tree. "She said he's dying."

"She saw him?"

Sawyer shook his head and Jack seemed to understand.

"Did she say where?" he asked.

Sawyer shook his head and realized it would have been smarter to ask her where Walt was then to run all the way back.

"Come on," Jack took off towards the hatch.

Satine walked slowly towards the door. She knew the combination from watching Locke change the combination. She had seen some of Cindy's past, but knew if she could get in there she could find out exactly what was happening. She could see how Cindy got infected and save them all.

Turning the lock, she listened for any movement inside. There didn't seem to be any sound. Carefully she finished and heard the click. Looking back she made sure no one was there before opening the door.

Cindy lay motionless on the floor in a heap. Her arms and face were filthy, blood caked in her hair and on her face. She looked hurt but not badly. Satine turned and pulled the door not all the way shut so it locked, but closed enough so that if someone came in, they wouldn't notice it was unlocked.

Her heart pounded in her ears as she walked to Cindy and bent. Reaching out a hand she touched Cindy's shoulder. Images flew through her head and then something she saw made her gasp in shock and something had gripped her hand, pulling her out of the vision.

Looking down she saw Cindy slowly rising to her feet, her eyes wild, her hand gripping Satine's arm tightly. Satine rose and tried to pull back but Cindy had it tightly, staring at Satine with wild eyes.

"Let go," said Satine quietly. Maybe the infection had worn off.

Very slowly, Satine pulled away and had gotten to the door when Cindy pounced.

"What do you mean?" Sawyer asked. They had stopped running and now were walking back to the hatch.

"I think she's doing this for attention. I don't think she has any kind of special gift," Jack said snootily. Sawyer wanted to slap him. "There can't be any way she's seeing these things."

"So you're saying she's never said something to you that made you think she knew more than she does?" Sawyer had stopped and faced Jack.

"There are many people on this island who could tell her things about all of us," Jack said simply. "It doesn't mean she's a psychic."

"You can be a little more grateful to her," snapped Sawyer. "She's helped us a lot."

"Yeah, and hurt us," Jack mumbled, and Sawyer knew he was thinking about Jack burying his own father without knowing.

"What if we don't believe her about Walt and he is hurt? What do we tell Michael?" Sawyer asked. He leaned against a tree, his shoulder throbbing painfully. It was going to rain, he was sure.

"How do we know she's not sending us on a rat race to get rid of us so she can stir up more trouble?" Jack asked.

"You didn't believe Claire."

Jack's eyes narrowed at Sawyer, who had put his hands on his hips. Sawyer usually never cared like this, usually would rather be arrogant. But Sawyer had seen what had happened to Michael after Walt was taken. Just seeing it was hard.

"I have no reason to believe her," Jack said, starting walking again. They were nearing the hatch door.

"Maybe you will," said Sawyer quietly.

Satine felt the door click closed behind her and threw herself against it as Cindy pounced on her, grabbing her hair and her arms and yanking her backwards. Satine cried out in pain as he neck snapped back painfully and she was thrown to the floor where Cindy began trying to scratch her and strangle her. Her hands were everywhere and Satine screamed, giving Cindy a hard shove and sending her sprawling backwards.

"HELP!" Satine screamed, hitting the door again. "HELP ME!"

"No!" Satine met Cindy this time and gripped her arms but Cindy's head came around and her teeth sunk into Satine's neck. It was like being bitten by an animal and Satine let out a howl and fell to the floor, blood pouring from the wound. It wasn't deep, but it bled profusely.

"HELP ME!" Satine sat against the door as Cindy stared wildly all around and then back at Satine.

Jack and Sawyer entered the hatch.

"Satine!" Jack shouted through the halls.

There was silence and for a moment Jack and Sawyer glanced at each other. Then they walked down the hall and were in the empty computer room.

"Kid?" Sawyer called.

Cindy leapt on Satine, this time getting her hands around her throat. Satine let out a cry and slammed her hand against the door.

Sawyer listened hard.

"No," he said slowly, his eyes on the door and then traveling to Jack.

"What's the combination?" Jack shouted, rushing to the door. Sawyer didn't say anything. "SAWYER?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Sawyer shouted. "The kid had to have known."

"Satine!" Jack hit the door and listened. There was the sound of scuffling but not voices.

Satine kicked Cindy hard, sending her falling sideways. Satine coughed and gagged. She could hear them, and knew they didn't know the combination.

"Left seventeen!" she shouted just as Cindy pounced again hitting Satine's head against the door painfully. "RIGHT FOURTY FIVE!"

"Kid!" Sawyer could hear her struggling and Satine was growing weaker. Her neck was bleeding and her arms were scratched horribly and Cindy just kept going, beating her with clumsy arms and scratching her. Satine knew this wasn't a woman anymore, this was an animal. This was what the infection did.

"What's the last number?" Jack shouted frantically. Sawyer turned around and gripped his hair.

"Sevent….AARGGH!"

Cindy had grabbed ahold of Satine's side which was still sore from her old gunshot wound. Falling to her knees, Satine felt dizzy from the pain and felt nails clawing her back. She fell to her hands, screaming in pain.

"Seventy?" Jack pleaded. "SATINE!"

"JUST PUT IT IN!" Sawyer screamed.

"That's not it! She didn't finish!"

"SEVENTY SEVEN!"

The lock clicked and Jack yanked the door back and Cindy and Satine flew out. Satine sprawled to the floor but Cindy went toppling over her, and right to her feet. Satine remained lying on the floor.

"Oh my god," Jack breathed.

But Sawyer ripped the gun from the back of his jeans and pointed it at her.

"No!" shouted Jack.

"She's not human! She'll infect us," Sawyer aimed as Cindy began nearing him.

"She's still alive!"

"Not for long."

Sawyer shot and it hit Cindy right in the chest. Jack had jumped and turned away with his eyes closed. Cindy stumbled for a moment backwards, her eyes wide with what had to be confusion and then she fell to the floor, dead.

"Kid?" Sawyer knelt beside Satine. "Kid? Can you hear me?"

"Walt's okay," she managed weakly, putting a hand to her bleeding neck. "She bit me."

She went unconscious and Jack rushed over.

"I need gauze," Jack said hurriedly, pressing his hands over the wound on her neck and looked down at her arms. "Get me my bag."

Sawyer took off but not before several people entered the computer room. Great, Jack thought, just what we need, an audience. Hurley and Ana-Lucia stood in the doorway with wide eyes while Locke went quickly to the computer because the alarm had just begun to sound.

"What happened?" asked Locke confusedly, looking from Cindy to Satine.

Alex appeared from behind Hurley and looked at Cindy with wide eyes.

"You shot her," she whispered, looking at Sawyer and Jack.

"She almost killed her!" Sawyer growled, handing Jack the bag. "She's not herself anymore."

"She…" but Alex couldn't seem to get the words out.

Carefully, Locke and Hurley carried Cindy's body out of the hatch. But Ana and Alex stayed and waited as Jack put a bandage on Satine's neck and cleaned the scratches on her arms best he could.

"She was weak to begin with," Jack said quietly, lifting her and carrying her out down the hall with Sawyer on his heels. "She never really recovered from the gunshot."

"She gonna be okay?" asked Sawyer as Jack laid Satine on the couch.

"Yeah. The bite is bad but it'll heal. I just hope…"

Ana and Alex had followed and Jack didn't want to say it but he prayed the infection couldn't be transferred through a bite. If so, Satine would most definitely be infected.

But as Jack stood there wondering about the fate of them all, Satine was remembering what she'd seen when she touched Cindy.

There was a very young girl, only about four or five and she was sitting in a white room by herself. The girl sat on the floor, her long brown hair sitting on her shoulders. The only thing in the room was a tiny toy plane, a white plane with the word _Oceanic_ on the side. She wore a starched white dress and black tap shoes. She appeared to be a normal little girl.

A door opened and light spilled across the room. The girl looked up with wide, fearful eyes.

There was a voice but Satine could barely hear it. It sounded familiar and seemed to be telling the girl it was okay. Then strong arms picked up the girl and carried her from this empty room into another room with a cold table. She was laid upon it and straps were placed on her wrists.

The girl began to cry and Satine felt her heart wrench. But a soft, calm voice was comforting her. It was telling her she'd see her mommy soon and that they would buy her toys. She seemed to calm down until a man, his face seemed blurred, approached holding a large syringe. The girl began to struggle, crying and pleading for them not to do it. But he put it inside of her arm and depressed it all the way. She cried out in pain and Satine felt sick, watching from the side. She was seeing something Cindy had seen, or was it something the island had seen that had infected Cindy?

Finally the girl stopped crying and seemed serene. They unstrapped her and sat her up. Then the man who had stuck her asked her what color he was thinking of. She said blue and he nodded with approval. The girl seemed pleased and was lifted off the table.

But instead of going back to the safe room, she was taken to another room with a cold metal table, this time with many instruments around her. Satine somehow knew what would happen, she somehow could see this was going to be painful. They took the girl's arms and put them in stronger straps and taped down her legs. She didn't cry, though, just gazed around calmly. They placed a metal crown on her head with wires leading to a machine on the side with long pieces of paper running from the machine. They began questioning her and the screaming began.

The screaming drove through Satine, eating her inside and wrenching her heart. She backed away, wanting to leave this vision. She wanted to get away from it, to wake up. She knew she was hurt but she needed to wake up. This was too painful, the girl's screams echoed in her head and somehow Satine felt the pain and could remember that crown and knew who that girl was.

And as suddenly as she'd fallen into it, she was wrenched out of her dream and sat staring around the hatch, her neck throbbing painfully and her arms scratched to oblivion. Beside her sat Sawyer who looked up expectantly.

"You okay?" he asked quietly. It was dark inside, and Satine supposed it was night.

"Yeah," she said quietly, although her heart was hammering.

"Go back to sleep," he said, leaning back in the soft chair.

Nodding, she turned over and sighed. But she knew she wouldn't sleep any more tonight.


	44. Chapter 44: At It Again

"Kate, slow down!" shouted Sayid as Kate took off towards the fire. "We don't know that's her!"

"Who else could it be?" she demanded.

"STOP!"

Sayid had seized her arm and yanked her hard to the ground just as something huge went flying above them. Kate hit the dirt and looked up in time to see a large sac of heavy rocks smash into a tree and swing back from the branch it was tied to.

"She sets traps," Sayid panted as they climbed to their feet. He reached out and stopped the sac from swinging.

"She's around here," Kate said quietly. The fire had gone out in the distance and it was suddenly eerily quiet. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

"Sayid."

They spun around to face Danielle, who stood with her gun in her hand, her long dirty hair hanging around her bony shoulders. Her face looked possibly even thinner than she had before.

"Danielle," Sayid moved towards her and she stepped back. "What's wrong?"

"Many are dead," she whispered, looking around. "But some are still alive. They're angry with you."

"We need you to come with us," Kate insisted, stepping up beside Sayid. "We've found some survivors."

Danielle's eyes seemed to widen. She stared at Kate as though searching her face for answers.

"Will you come?" Sayid asked desperately as a light rain began to fall in the darkness around them.

For a moment there was silence and then very gently, Danielle nodded.

Satine was running. She ran so hard and so fast she was sure her heart would pound right out of her chest. Someone was behind her, chasing her through streets of people. She was in a city, a very busy city and she was small as she darted through the jungle of legs and wagons, skidding around corners and racing across empty roads. She knew she had to get away from something, she had seen someone die and knew it would be her next. 

Whoever was chasing her was getting closer. She turned her head and suddenly realized she wasn't in a city anymore. She was on the island, racing through the jungle. She was panting, a stitch painful in her side as she leaped over logs and skidded in the mud, running down slopes and through thick groves of trees. Branches and thorns snatched at her clothes and she felt scratches dig into her arms.

She came out into what looked like a valley and in the middle of it was a huge bonfire. Someone was inside it, burning and screaming. She could see a face, a face screaming in agony inside the flames. People were standing all around, people she knew. Kate, Jack, and Locke all just stared at the fire with wide eyes. Hurley, Ana, Bernard, and Rose were there too. Satine wandered around them, not understanding why they didn't do something.

Then she saw who was in the flames. It was Sawyer, and his hair was whipping about his face from the flames licking at his body. His flesh was burning, his skin charring and turning brown. But his face remained the same as he threw his head back and wailed in pain.

"NO!" she went forward but the flames were too hot. She backed away, tears streaming down her cheeks. "SAWYER!"

She stepped back more and felt herself trip and she was falling and landed hard on the floor beside the couch.

"SAWYER!" she screamed his face amid the flames still in her mind's eye. She could feel the cold floor, see that it was bright inside and knew she was tangled in a blanket but somehow she couldn't bring herself out of the dream. She saw his eyes, his eyes boring into her, pleading with her. "SAWYER!"

"I'm right here!" shouted Sawyer as he seized her and easily lifted her up so she was sitting on the couch. "Wake up!"

She stared around confusedly. The flames were gone, it was cool inside the hatch and it was empty except for Sawyer who knelt in front of her looking confused.

"You awake?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said softly as the sound of the door to the hatch opening echoed. "I…ow."

She felt the throbbing on her neck and put a hand to the bandage. It was already soaked through with blood. Sawyer looked at it worriedly.

"We should have Jack change that," he said, standing and holding out a hand. "I think he's at the beach."

"I'm right here."

Jack had entered with Alex on his heels. Sawyer knew Jack was keeping Alex here so that when Danielle arrived they wouldn't have to look for her. She looked confused as she followed him inside and took a seat at one of the stools at the kitchen counter.

He went ahead and changed Satine's bandage. It was oddly quiet in the hatch as they waited.

"Wait."

Danielle had stopped as they approached the door to the hatch. She looked terrified, her chest heaving and her face pale.

"I…"

Kate knew she was terrified. She would see her daughter, the baby that was stolen from her sixteen years ago, for the first time. Sayid saw her hands were shaking.

"It's okay," Kate said quietly, walking back to stand beside her.

Danielle went forward with them. When they entered the hatch her footsteps became slow and heavy as though every step was a mile. When they came into the light of the main room, everyone became deathly silent as Danielle's eyes fell upon the girl sitting at the kitchen counter.

"Who is that?" Alex asked them, stepping down off the stool. She looked scared.

Jack and Sawyer exchanged a look and then both stood. Sawyer reached down and held out a hand for Satine to stand. He helped her out of the hatch and Kate and Sayid turned to leave but Danielle put up a hand.

"Stay," she whispered to them.

They exchanged a glance, knowing this was going to be uncomfortable but nodded and retreated to the couch.

Very slowly Danielle walked forward but Alex backed up.

"Why is everyone leaving? Kate?" she looked at Kate with worried eyes. "Who is this?"

"Sixteen years ago, my boat crashed here," Danielle said quietly, remaining where she stood. Her eyes were wide and watering. "I was already five months pregnant. After my team died, I gave birth here on the island. A baby girl."

Alex seemed to understand but she was in so much shock she almost laughed.

"I don't understand. Who are you? I've never met you before," she said, her voice shaking. Kate stood and went over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"They took you, without even giving a warning. They just came in the night and stole you from my arms. One moment you were asleep in my arms and the next…you were gone," Danielle said, tears falling from her eyes. "I thought they'd killed you, or used you for their experiments and disposed of you."

"Wait," Alex looked around. "You're telling me that you're my…my…my mother?"

When Danielle nodded, Alex seemed to lose it.

"That's impossible. My mother gave me up for the compound. She gave me to them so they could test me. I wasn't…I wasn't stolen," she was breathing heavily.

"You saved that pregnant girl's life. That's when I knew it was you. You were good…you weren't like them," Danielle stepped forward but Alex backed up into the counter, knocking a pot to the floor with a clatter that broke the silence.

"Claire? They would have killed her and taken the…"

Alex seemed to realize.

"They wanted to take her baby," she whispered, her eyes wide and blank. "They were taking children…"

Danielle nodded and turned away to wipe her eyes. Kate had to look down, her own eyes stinging. Sayid remained with his head down as he sat on the couch without moving.

"Why didn't you try to get me back?" Alex asked softly, suddenly looking bitter. "Why didn't you save me?"

"I tried," Danielle moved forward again and Alex went around the side of the counter and backed against a cabinet as though cornered. "I really tried, but they kept moving. Their bases were underground."

"You could have found me," Alex seemed angry and Kate realized this was not going to end well. "


	45. Chapter 45: To Believe

Alex stood shakily. The sun was low in the trees as Alex spun in a circle, the jungle surrounding her and nothing looking familiar.

"HELLO?" she shouted, leaning against a tree as a wave of dizziness came over her. She felt sick to her stomach. Whatever was in the water Locke had offered her, it had caused her to pass out. A rise of anger grew within her but it became fear when she realized it would be night within the hour and she'd be stuck out here.

She knew the island well, but not well enough. She'd spent years at the compound, and had only traveled when they moved to a new shelter. This area she didn't know, because it wasn't where she'd passed out. Locke had to have moved her, but how far could he have carried her? She's a sixteen-year-old girl, could he have possibly moved her miles before she woke up?

She decided to walk towards the sun, because she knew the beach was that direction at least from where she'd been crying.

She walked for a half an hour, her mind racing. She felt nauseous and dizzy, as she hurried along the path trying to make sense of why John Locke would do this. He had seemed so nice, everyone seemed to trust him. What sense did this make?

After almost an hour, the sun was almost set. She stopped, having no idea where she was. Looking around, Alex felt desperate.

"HELP ME!" she shouted, staggering slightly. Tears were running down her face. She could be anywhere, perhaps higher in the hills than she knew. She'd die out here. "SOMEBODY!"

Suddenly, she froze. The sounds of the jungle, the birds, the swishing of the trees, the bugs…it had all gone silent. Slowly she rose, turning around, her eyes wide.

Something was different. Slowly Alex rose from her bed amongst the other ten girls in the room. No one else had moved, because no one else wanted to. It always seemed Alex was the only person who knew what was going on around here. At least it seemed like that to her.

Carefully she rose, her white nightgown clinging to her. It was always hot in there, Alex supposed it was so if someone was sick, they'd get sicker. Yes, Alex knew what was going on because of Dominic. He kept her informed.

She reached the door and slowly opened it. A thin strip of light illuminated her face and the dark room behind her. The hall was bright white and she squinted against it. Down the hall she could see the double doors open to the large room down the hall. They were scrubbing a table in the middle. Alex was confused because this room had originally been where they got their check ups or where they'd be infected. If you were called into the room, it was never good.

Alex squinted. Were they wearing scrubs? Since when were they surgeons? Most of the "doctors" here could barely use a syringe. One time a kid had broken his leg. When they tried to set it, they ended up breaking it again. Alex had never seen that boy again…

Suddenly it seemed clear. That girl they'd brought in, the pregnant one, she was staying in a room down the hall. Alex had only seen her twice, once when she came in and later when she'd left for a while with Doctor Ethan. She seemed so nice, and when Alex had seen her come in, she was laughing and joking. Somehow, Alex felt like this girl was somehow clueless to what went on there. No one knew where she came from, but the other girls her age never said anything about it. They never spoke much about anything.

As Alex stood there watching them prep the room with the bright lights above the bed and the people wearing masks and scrubs. All of a sudden someone walked by the room quickly. Alex stepped back, closing the door a tiny bit more, but listening hard.

"Are we almost ready?" asked a voice that sounded like Ethan's. Alex poked her eye in the crack in the door and saw Ethan talking to Johnson, one of the heads.

"Yeah. In a bit you can go in and sedate her. Try not to wake her before you do. It'd be easier," said Johnson, crossing his arms. "Do we know the sex?"

"It's a male," said Ethan. His voice sounded unsure. "Are we…letting her go?"

"After the surgery we'll let her die. She'll never wake up," said Johnson harshly. "Alright, we'll give it fifteen more minutes then go do it."

Ethan watched as Johnson walked away and Alex could see his face illuminated by the bright lights of the hallway. He looked almost…upset.

But Alex ignored that as Ethan walked away. They were going to take Claire's baby. Dominic had told her about some strange woman they'd once brought in and taken her baby and killed her, but Alex had always thought he was trying to impress her. Now, she knew it was true.

Alex knew she couldn't let Claire die. Looking back, she saw the rest of the room was still asleep. Carefully she hurried back to her bedside table and pulled on her pants and a shirt. Grabbing the keys in her drawer, she crept back to the door. She had stolen the keys a few weeks ago and hadn't gotten a chance to put them back, knowing she probably wouldn't ever. It helped her get what she needed.

Slowly she crept into the hallway, the key to the side rooms clutched tightly in her hand. Her hands were trembling as she hurried along, trying to stay out of sight of the doorway at the end of the hall. When she reached the room Claire was in, she listened carefully. Somehow she realized there was no easy way to do this. Claire was still sedated, she'd be delirious and they had been talking to her. As fast as she could, Alex raced across the hall and unlocked the door to the storeroom. Shutting it behind her, she scanned up and down until she found the bottle of chloroform. Grabbing gauze she soaked it in it, careful to hold it away from her face. Then she left the open bottle there and hurried to the door again.

Sliding back into the hall she hurried to Claire's door and her hands fumbled. She almost dropped the keys as she found the key again and hurried in, shutting and locking the door behind her.

Claire lay asleep in the small bed beside the crib. The walls had decorations, and there were large stuffed animals everywhere. Alex felt slightly sick realizing this stuff would be ripped down after Claire was gone and the baby put in the cold, dark nursery where only two other babies currently were.

Alex bent beside the bed and shook Claire's shoulder hard.

"Claire," she hissed, hearing footsteps in the hall. "Claire! Wake up!"

Jack and Kate had only been walking a half an hour when Locke came walking down the path towards them.

"Hey!" he called merrily, striding up to them. "What are you two doing so far out here?"

"Looking for you," Kate said curiously, looking around. "And we might ask the same thing."

"Well, no one has gotten a chance to look for new fruit trees so I thought I'd do the honor," John grinned and hitched up his bag.

"Did you find any fruit?" Jack asked, eyeing John's bag.

"Nope," John seemed uncomfortable by the question. "Shall we head back? It'll be dark soon."

Kate and Jack nodded but exchanged a look as they let him lead them back towards the hatch.

Sawyer sighed and turned over. The sun had set and although it was still early he was exhausted. He had laid down in his tent beside Satine who had fallen asleep later in the afternoon. She was extremely shook up about everything, and had been asking him where they had buried Cindy. He had finally gotten her to shut up and lay down.

In and out of a doze Sawyer went, not really able to sleep because of Satine's wheezing beside him. Her neck was painful and just breathing seemed to hurt her. In her sleep she breathed strangely and he knew it was because she was in pain. And listening to that, and also knowing what had happened to her in the armory kept him awake.

The sounds of people building fires reached them, and their voices were murmurs over the sound of the waves hitting the shore. Usually this would be soothing but not after listening to it for now almost three months. Sometimes Sawyer wished he could turn off the waves and the sound of the jungle just to get some sleep.

He realized he wasn't sleeping, he was just thinking in a doze. Taking a deep breath he tried to settle down. He hadn't slept in almost two and a half days. He knew he should be exhausted but he just couldn't get his mind to shut down.

"Sawyer."

Sawyer's eyes popped open and he was face to face with Satine. She lay directly beside him on a separate mat but moderately close. Her face was pale and withdrawn and her hair tumbled around her face and she looked very pretty in the dim light from the lantern hanging at the entrance to the tent.

"Yes?" he asked, trying not to sound rude.

She didn't answer. She just gazed at him with wide eyes. Strangely enough, Sawyer felt his own eyes beginning to close almost as though her speaking to him had soothed him into a sleep. He tried to stay awake, wondering if she wanted something but couldn't help it and fell into a deep snooze. He was so fast asleep he never heard Satine get up and leave the tent in a hurry

His eyes flew open as though he sensed something was wrong before he heard it. Sawyer sat up and just a he did, Jack came flying into the doorway of his tent.

"Come quick," he said breathlessly to Sawyer before turning and running off down the beach. Sawyer hurried after him without bothering to put on a shirt.

"What is it?" demanded Sawyer as he came level with Jack who had slowed to a jog as they headed down the beach past the dark tents. No one else was awake and Sawyer judged that it had to be near three in the morning, judging by the fact that he felt significantly rested.

"I was coming back to check on things," Jack panted heavily as they went around a corner of the beach towards the jetty. "And I saw her run past me. I thought maybe she was sleep walking again and I think she was. But this is different. She…she's very upset."

As they walked Sawyer could see a fire lit higher up on the beach with several people gathered around it. As they neared he saw it was Kate, Satine, Sayid, and Hurley. Kate was speaking harshly to Satine who was on her knees, looking hysterical. Sayid was standing behind them watching Sawyer and Jack near while Hurley just sat on the sand a few feet away looking nervous.

"Everything okay?" Sawyer asked as they neared.

"SAWYER!" Satine saw him and jumped to her feet, running to him. "They won't believe me. I went to find someone…it's Alex!"

"Alex?" Sawyer asked, having no idea who she meant.

"Rousseau's daughter," Kate reminded him, standing and brushing off her knees. "Go ahead, tell him what you told us."

"Sawyer," she was trembling and looked horribly upset. Her bandage on her neck was dirty and needed to be changed and Sawyer threw a nasty look at Jack for that. "It's Alex. She's…she's scared. I saw her…I saw her running."

"Here? Near here?" Sawyer said confusedly. He felt completely confused. "What do you mean?"

"She has…she has what I have. She's in my head, Sawyer," Satine seemed to shake even harder and he gripped her shoulders. She was shaking horribly and he felt significant anger towards everyone else for letting her get so distraught. It seemed almost like they didn't care. He knew they didn't believe her. "She's…"

"What's going on?"

John had appeared out of the jungle, looking concerned. Sawyer saw it in Satine's face before anyone else had. Her eyes had gone wide and he felt her become rigid as he held her shoulders.

"You," she said in a low voice, moving away from Sawyer towards John. "You did exactly what you did to me to her, didn't you?"

"What?" John looked confused.

"You bastard!"

She launched herself at him and although she was too small to hurt him she did startle John and he fell backwards onto the sand. She began trying to punch him and pummel him, tears streaming down her face.

"You're hurting her like you hurt me!" she screamed as everyone remained frozen in shock. "You bastard!"

"STOP!" shouted Jack, rushing forward and seizing her around the waste. She momentarily left the ground as he lifted her off of him and onto the sand.

"Bring her back!" Satine shouted as Jack held her from running back to John who was slowly getting to his feet, a deep scratch mark on his left cheek. "BRING HER BACK!"

"What the hell?" Sawyer said confusedly.

"Apparently John has been up to his old tricks," said Sayid very sternly, speaking for the first time. "Have you, John?"

"She's gone crazy," John said, putting a hand to his cheek and looking at the blood on his fingers.

"I am not crazy," Satine said, now trembling so hard that it seemed Jack holding her arms seemed to be the only thing keeping her from falling to her knees. "I saw her."

"Alex?" Kate asked, sounding pissed. She walked over and stood in front of Satine. "You're saying John took Alex into the jungle and left her just like he did with you?"

"Yes!" Satine said exasperatedly. She felt very sick and she wrenched her arms from Jack's grip and stepped back. "I can see her."

"How?" asked Sayid, crossing his arms.

She looked down and Sawyer knew she felt like they didn't believe her to begin with, if she said she'd seen her when she was asleep they'd all turn around and walk away with disgust. She knew they could barely stand her now, what if she was wrong about this?

"I saw her," Satine said quietly. "She's out there, running from that monster. She's near some cliffs, and it's raining there."

"It's not raining here," said John slightly angrily, still holding his cheek.

"It can rain on different parts of the island at different times," said Sayid sharply. His eyes were glaring at John.

"It's raining bad and there's…mudslides and the river is overflowing but she cant find her way without following it because…because she knows it leads to the caves," Satine continued breathlessly and Sawyer stepped up and put a hand on her back to steady her. "That's what I did. I…I followed the river."

"Which river?" Sayid asked curiously.

"The one our water comes from. Hasn't it been especially high?" Satine inquired. Everyone seemed to nod. The pool below the spring had overflowed several times, wetting the floors of the caves. But no one had thought twice.

"The river is going to overflow and it's going to wash out the paths and she'll never find her way back. She could drown," looked away Satine took a breath. She felt dizzy and knew she was feeling almost everything Alex was feeling. There was fear in her stomach and it wasn't her own.

"Jack," Sayid inclined his head to pull Jack aside. Sawyer wanted to hear this so he hurried past Satine and followed Jack and Sayid as they walked a bit down the beach.

"Well?" Sayid asked.

"Well what? If we believe her, we're risking sending people into the jungle for no reason," Jack said.

"Shouldn't we tell Rousseau?" asked Sawyer.

"No. She'd just go off by herself and get herself killed. We need a team if we do anything," Jack sighed. "But what she said about the river seems impossible."

"It's not. Monsoon season is upon us, we've been lucky though. It has rained in the afternoons and sometimes at night for a while now. The river could wash out the hills at any time now and if Alex was on those hills when it happens she could be killed by the flood," Sayid said powerfully. "I believe her."

"She has been missing," Sawyer inquired. "No one has seen that kid for a while."

"Still. She could still be around, just hiding because of what happened. Satine is known to get hysterical over things, plus she's probably still in shock from what happened in the armory," Jack shook his head. "We wait until daylight. If she's still so convinced we'll consider…"

"No," Sawyer barked angrily. "Why do you have to make the final decision?"

Sayid seemed to agree but didn't say anything.

"I think if we're going to make any difference we head out tonight," Sawyer said hurriedly to Sayid. "We can walk along the beach and at dawn head up into the hills. We'll have to bring the kid so she can show us where she thinks she is."

"You're basing this on a nightmare," Jack snapped angrily. Sawyer knew he hated being secondhand in decisions.

"She was right about other things," Sawyer growled.

"She also lied about Walt," Jack snapped.

"I'm going out tonight to find her whether you come or not," snapped Sawyer, his face close to Jack's.

"I'll come with you," said Sayid, raising his head a little and not looking at Jack who was giving him a look that simply said he felt betrayed.

"Me too," said Kate who had been standing only a few feet away.

Jack nodded, his hands on his hips as he looked around at them all. He felt betrayed and they all knew it but it seemed he was not in charge anymore. The doctor was no longer the head honcho and Sawyer was glad that everyone else agreed.

Sawyer turned around and headed back to Satine who was kneeling on the sand beside Hurley, staring into the fire. They both looked up as Sawyer knelt beside her and took her hand.

"We're going to find her," he assured her before helping her to her feet.

As they headed back to their tent to get their packs, Jack watched them go. Kate came to his side but he stepped away from her and she watched him march alone down the beach and back to his hatch.


	46. Chapter 46: Let the Rain Fall

(flashbacks are marked by lines at the beginnings and ends. Sometimes these marks only show up in my Microsoft word and when I upload them, the marks disappear. )

Once Alex had Claire unconscious, she realized she had probably made a huge mistake. In trying to escape she might get them both killed. She knew they would never hurt her but how would they react to her trying to kidnap one of their experiments?

Lifting Claire heavily, Alex went to the door and poked her head out. The people at the end of the hall seemed to be gone, possibly getting a briefing in one of the side rooms. She knew this was her chance, she had to try.

With all the strength she had, Alex held Claire under her arms and dragged her out of the doorway and into the hall. She prayed with all her might that no one would see them. Just as she reached halfway to the escape door, someone stepped into the hallway in front of her.

"Alex?" said Dominic confusedly, looking down at Claire. "What…"

Just then she heard voices around the corner.

"Distract them!" she hissed at him with wide, pleading eyes. "I have to save her, they're going to kill her and her baby!"

Dominic didn't ask why, or even what she was thinking. This was why she loved him so much. They weren't allowed to love, they weren't allowed to have much communication with each other but she had Dominic had a bond that went beyond just the windows they'd look through at each other.

Nodding, Dominic ran quickly past Alex and down the corner.

"Come with me!" Dominic was saying desperately, his voice very high. "Someone's trying to break in!"

"What? Where?" demanded a harsh voice.

"At the north end! Hurry! I think they're trying to hurt people!" Dominic said.

Alex waited with baited breath as she heard their footsteps running away towards the north end where Alex wondered what Dominic would say once he got there and there was no one there. Taking a deep breath she heaved Claire up and pulled her the rest of the way to the door.

She passed the emergency box with flashlights and went up the ramp. Many times the power would be knocked out by a bad storm or flood and they'd gather in this tiny hall and wait for the power to come back on. With no windows it was completely dark without electricity.

At the top she reached out and pulled the handle. It was locked and would take two hands to turn the handle. Carefully she laid Claire down, not wanting to hurt her or her baby. Alex had small thoughts about the chloroform possibly hurting the baby but pushed them aside, knowing she was saving their lives.

Twisting hard she was able to get the door open. But it was loud and she knew someone had heard because a door had shut sharply just before, meaning someone had realized Claire was gone.

She couldn't stop now, it was too late to turn back. Pulling Claire up she yanked her out of the door and shut it. But they'd be right behind her. So she grabbed an axe that had been lying on the ground and jammed it over the handles, bending them.

It had begun to rain and night was heavy around them as she dragged Claire through the jungle. She just needed to get her far enough so she'd wake up and wander the other way. Up ahead there was a cove where her and Dominic had snuck many times. If she brought her there, on the other side of the hill Claire could wake up and start towards the beach and possibly towards anyone else she was with.

Alex was exhausted, her arms and legs roaring in pain. She had gotten to the crest of the hill when she heard the shouts behind her. They were coming, and they would find Claire soon and bring her right back. Looking down Alex saw Claire's face looked furrowed and she seemed to be waking up. Not now, pleaded Alex. Please not now.

Finally Alex let Claire down. She could go no further, as her chest felt like it would explode any second. Looking around she knew it'd be okay from here. They wouldn't search here first, they look on the north side of the jungle. Looking back Alex couldn't see any torches and felt confident that no one would come this way for a while, giving Claire a chance to wake up.

Looking down Alex hoped she'd be okay. She would have stayed with her, helped her back to her people but she was terrified to return any later than she would. Even now she could give the excuse that she chased Claire out, and got caught in the storm. So taking a deep breath she turned back.

Taking a longer path around, she planned on slipping in through the entrance beside the kitchen. It was a small window that she was thin enough to slide through. She had gotten halfway there when she froze.

Someone was walking through the jungle, someone carrying a rifle. In the rain, Alex didn't see much but in her mind images flashes as they usually did when she met a stranger. People's pasts usually played in super high speed through her brain so within the first ten minutes she'd met them, she knew everything about them from where they were born to their last meal. It often made her head hurt.

But this time all she heard was a baby's cries. It made her ears ache and for a moment Alex had to look away and bend down. The cries echoed in her head and screams, horrible desperate screams. It seemed to fade as she saw the shadowy figure move farther away and Alex stood up shakily, hurrying to the window and sliding back inside before anyone could notice.

Alex had never run so fast in her life. Whatever was behind her was chasing her and she knew that if she stopped she'd be killed. It was a horrible, wrenching, roaring sound that echoed all around her and images of people she'd never met before, people dying horrible deaths were flashing before her eyes. She saw a boy, a young man actually lying bloody in some kind of aircraft. Then she saw a very pretty blonde girl lying dead on the ground, a bullet wound in her. And someone was drowning, and there were screams and a plane crashing violently into the sand, bodies everywhere, flames and terrified people.

But these images were like pictures being passed very quickly before her eyes and as she ran she realized she had no idea where she was going. But the sound stayed close behind.

The rain began to fall and kept falling as she ran and ran. Finally she stopped, turning and listening hard against the rainfall. The roaring was gone, whatever had been chasing her seemed to have disappeared. Looking around she knew she was completely lost. In her mind, she wondered if anyone even noticed…

Sawyer, Sayid, Kate, and Satine had been walking for almost an hour in the dark jungle. Kate and Sawyer had flashlights while Satine and Sayid carried torches. They moved fast, with long strides heading straight towards the hill. Satine was in front, leading them and all of them wondered if she wasn't leading them into something more dangerous.

"We should rest," Sayid said as they neared a steeper portion of land. "Ten minutes."

"No!" Satine insisted as the three of them sat down. "We can't! She could be dying!"

"You said you can feel her. You would know if she was dying," said Sawyer irritably, leaning against a tree.

"She's scared. She's injured too, I don't know how though. And…"

"What?" asked Kate curiously.

"It's raining," said Satine, looking up.

She was right. A light drizzle had begun to fall. In the heavy humidity none of them had noticed it. But it was quickly becoming a downpour and they all stood, the ground becoming mud within seconds.

"Alright. We need to find a safe way to climb," Sayid said, throwing down the wet torch. "Let's go around and see if it is sturdier."

They followed him off the direct path they were following and into the heavier brush. They came to a portion of the hill that was slightly flatter but rockier.

The climb was long and hard and Satine didn't do well. She had been weak ever since she'd arrived and it only occurred to Sawyer now that she had never gained back her strength. He supposed it had a lot to do with not having the right medical supplies and also having gone through something so traumatic. He felt for her, he really did.

The rain didn't stop and two hours later, after climbing through muddy bogs and thick brush, they came to a valley higher up on the mountain. From where they stood they could see the tip of it, most of it shrouded in cloud. The fog was heavier here, and the rain harder. Sawyer began to notice that when he stepped his feet sank into the mud at least half a foot.

"Hey!" he shouted to Kate and Sayid who had kept following Satine. "Look!"

Sawyer pointed off into the trees where they all noticed a very heavy amount of water flowing down the hill. It seemed to be coming from higher up in the mountain.

"The river is overflowing," said Sayid through the rain. He looked very discouraged but hadn't said a word. "It's been raining more up here than usual."

"Can that be bad?" asked Kate worriedly, exchanging a glance with Satine.

Sayid didn't answer and kept walking. They had to suck their feet from the mud as they walked and they had gotten halfway across the valley when Satine keeled over.

"Kid!" Sawyer rushed forward almost losing his balance. Kate and Sayid had stopped, turning back.

Satine struggled to stand but she put a hand to her head and winced.

"She's hurt," Satine let out a cry. "Badly…"

"Where is she?" demanded Sayid, coming back to her and lifting her to her feet.

"Very close," Satine said quietly. Sawyer held her arm tightly. "We need to keep going."

"This is ridiculous! We're going to get stuck in this!" Kate said, looking down and seeing her feet had sunk almost to her knees. "It's too dangerous we need to wait for the rain to stop!"

"I don't think the rain has stopped up here in a long time!" Sayid called back to her. "There is no point in stopping now."

Alex was struggling through the jungle directly towards the valley. She didn't know why, she just seemed to think that direction made sense. Her mind seemed to have shut down and her psychic ability kicked in. She was getting messages from a whole lot of different people, many of them different people on the island. Most of them were bits of random thoughts, some were parts of conversations. She felt like she was going crazy, like someone was scrambling her brain with a fork.

Taking a turn, Alex began walking down a steeper incline. The rain made it slick and she had just gotten a glimpse of the rocks when her foot went out from under her.

Head over heels she tumbled down and she knew this would be bad before it even happened. She struck her head hard on a rock, causing her head to spin even worse as she was thrown like a rag doll farther down the hill until she landed at the bottom in a tiny pond of water.

Raising herself slowly, the pain was terrible. She felt dizzy and sick, and wondered if she should just lay here. But the water was coming down the hill fast and she stood quickly, wavering a bit. She felt the warm blood coming down her neck, and tried to shake away the pain as she kept going.

Something had burst. Sayid and Kate had seen it before Satine and Sawyer had even noticed the water rise around their legs. Above them, the bank of the river had simply given way.

"Oh my god," whispered Kate, seeing the rush of water in the hills above them. "Sayid…"

"We have no where to run," Sayid hissed.

"What?" Satine asked.

The water rose quickly at their feet and it seemed the entire valley had become a giant shallow lake. Sawyer and Satine saw the urgency at once.

"Go!" shouted Sayid, turning around. "Towards the trees!"

Sawyer seized Satine's arm and pulled her hard with him, practically carrying her as they struggled to wade through what was now waist deep. Kate and Sayid were ahead, hurrying as fast as they could, sucking their feet from the mud below the surface. It kept rising and as they reached they knew the wave was about to hit them.

The water was shallowing out as they hurried but the wave would hit the regardless. They were racing as fast as they could, running hard through the trees, the rain blinding them. Sawyer dragged Satine along as though she couldn't walk but she didn't object. They had gotten to the bottom of the ravine where the ground was harder.

Looking up, they saw an enormous rock ledge above them and below it a small pool. Within seconds the water was coming and it was almost like in slow motion, an enormous amount of water suddenly poured down on them and as they tried to run it hit them like a train, sweeping them off their feet and into a river.

"SAWYER!" Satine screamed as she slipped from his grip.

Sawyer was sucked under the surface and felt around wildly for the kid as he was shoved along, down the hill and into the once shallow river that had now become almost like rapids. He surfaced and looked around, the river bank on either side but the current was too strong. He could see two bobbing heads up farther and he tried to shout out but it was shoving him down, pulling him to the bottom of the murky water.

Alex ran so fast she thought her legs would break. She had seen the water rushing and had gotten a good head start. But as she ran it became deeper and she felt her legs give out and it swept her down the hill, almost like a water slide. Letting out a scream she realized she was airborne, catapulted into the air and below her she saw the river and hit the surface hard.

Surfacing she tried to stay afloat. The current dragged her hard and they were moving fast. Looking up, trying to focus she saw people ahead of her and heard yelling. Who else was caught in it?

"HELP ME!" screamed Alex as she was dragged under again.

Sawyer turned and saw no one. The rain was coming down harder and the current became faster as thunder clapped above them. Suddenly he saw a head bob to the surface.

"KID!" Sawyer turned and tried to swim against the current. It was Satine, it had to be, he thought wildly.

He fought it hard and eventually came level with flailing arms and a head that had gone below the surface. Reaching down he grabbed someone by the scruff of their shirt and yanked them up.

It wasn't Satine. It was Alex.

"WHOA!" Sawyer said in surprise.

She coughed and sputtered and Sawyer began swimming towards the shore. He was able to drag her to the bank and threw her up onto it but it was a sharp ledge and as he clung on it pulled him hard.

With her last remaining bit of strength she reached down and seized his hand. He held it tightly and was able to pull himself hard up out of the water and onto the bank.

Lying on his back, the rain hit his face as he took deep breaths. Every inch of him was in pain and he felt like there was enough water in his lungs to suffocate him.

"Thank you," said Alex as she trembled, her face pale, her hair flat against her head.

"Satine," he coughed, sitting up. The water was receding slightly but it still ran fast. There was no sign of Sayid and Kate.

He looked up at Alex and for a moment was angry that she wasn't Satine. Why did it have to be her when he pulled her above the surface? Angrily, he stood up and scanned the banks all around.

Miles away Jack knew something was wrong. Distant thunder rumbled and he felt in his gut that something wasn't right. Kate's voice was echoing in his head. He knew they were right to go look for Satine. But he felt guilty for not going with them.

"There's a bit of a flood," said Hurley calmly as he came into the hatch where Jack sat. "The caves is entirely flooded."

Jack stood up quickly.


	47. Chapter 47: Remnants

(flashback)

Sliding in the small window, Alex fell hard onto the cold cement floor of the kitchen. She twisted her ankle painfully and held in a cry. Carefully she stood and limped across the kitchen to the doorway where she stopped and listened.

But without warning the door smashed open, hitting her hard and sending her falling backwards. Light spilled into the dark kitchen and above her stood Ethan and several of his helpers who were also in scrubs.

"Where is she?" he demanded angrily, reaching down and seizing her arm, yanking her up. "Where's Claire?"

"What?" she asked, praying she could get away with this.

Gripping her hard, Ethan threw her into the hall where she hit the opposite wall and fell, her ankle throbbing. Looking up she saw him move to kick her and she grimaced as it hit her straight in the ribs.

"Hey!"

Dominic had appeared out of nowhere, probably taking the long way back to his room. As soon as the others saw him they raced after him.

"Run!" Alex shouted to him, knowing both their fates now.

Dominic swung a punch at the first one to come towards him, sending the man flying back. The second had ducked and tackled Dominic to the ground where several others got on top of him.

Alex looked up, cowering against the wall as Ethan stood above her, his shoes muddy.

"Where is she?" he demanded one more time, bending low and looking hard at her. "If you tell me, I might just let you live."

"I don't know," she croaked.

He hit her again hard and kept hitting her. She could hear Dominic's cries and knew he was also being beaten savagely. For a moment she closed her eyes as his foot kept connecting with her ribs and just for a second, she wished she hadn't come back.

(end flashback)

Alex kept coughing and throwing up water. She could barely catch her breath as they remained there on the steep incline of the bank. Rain fell even harder as Sawyer looked out upon the water, scanning for any sign of her.

"We need to find the others," he said quickly, turning towards her. "Can you walk?"

"Yes," she said in a raspy voice, coughing several times.

He helped her up but let her follow him as he went forward into the now marshy jungle. The ground was soaked and very muddy as they walked parallel to the running water. Every so often the mud would turn into streams heading downward and they'd have to go around it and lose sight of the newly made river. All Sawyer could think about was Satine, and whether she had drowned, or made it to a shore. He hoped that she was with Kate and Sayid.

"They could have gone miles," Alex said as they walked quickly. She had begun shivering.

"We'll walk miles, then," said Sawyer harshly. "Keep up."

Jack came into the hatch panting. John and Eko looked at him confusedly.

"There's been a flood. I think Kate and the others have been caught in it when they went to look for Alex," he gasped, racing to his bag. "We need to go find them."

"If the river overflowed, it will have washed out a lot of the hillside," said Eko, picking up his stick. Charlie had given it the name "the Jesus stick" because of his inscriptions from the bible on the side of it and now it was what everyone referred to it as. "It will have turned into a river."

"We need to go," Jack demanded, hitching his bag and looked back at them. "Come on!"

"Jack, if the hillside was washed out, how could they still be up there?" asked John curiously.

Angrily Jack threw down his bag and went towards John, preparing to take him by the throat. But Eko stepped in between them and Jack stopped.

"You're the reason they left!" shouted Jack angrily. "You've done this before!"

"Stop!" Eko demanded, his deep voice resonating over Jack's easily. "We will go. But there can be no arguing. We must make haste."

Eko went to move and Jack stepped back. John just got off his stool and went towards the door.

"We should bring more people. I'll see if I can find Jin and Michael," Jack began, but Eko shook his head as they reached the door to the hatch.

"The more people the slower we will go. We must move," Eko seemed to know what he was doing but Jack wasn't sure how. Perhaps he had more experience with this stuff on the other side of the island?

They set off into the jungle and although it seemed like night, it was mid morning. The rain had begun to fall as they left the usual paths and headed into the jungle. The only warning they had given that they were leaving was to Hurley, telling him to press the button if they're not back yet.

"We cannot go up the way they did," said Eko, surveying the woods around them, which had a thin layer of mud on the soil at least ten inches thick. "We will have to go the long way."

"We need to find them," Jack said desperately. In his mind he pictured Kate clinging to life as she fought against the raging waters of a newly formed river. He wondered if Satine and Sawyer had made it. In his gut somehow he felt that they had, but there was more happening than he knew.

"Do you think Alex is still alive?" asked John quietly from behind Jack.

"She better be, for your sake," Jack said coldly. "I don't want to have to be the one to tell Rousseau that you killed her daughter."

Kate had been swept down stream and had clutched the strap of Sayid's pack. As they were swept downstream they got separated and she slammed hard into the riverbank, which was made up of a series of large boulders. The water smashed her against the rocks, and she was able to reach up and grip a dry one, heaving herself up and out of the water.

Lying there on her back she could hear the water still raging below her. Her side ached from being smashed against the rocks, and sitting up she realized her pack was gone. There was no sign of Sayid, Sawyer, or Satine anywhere.

For some reason she wished Jack were there. There wouldn't have been much he could have done but she doubted he would have let them become separated. Sitting there in the rain, shivering and terrified she just wished he was there to hold out a hand to help her up.

Standing she scanned the water but saw nothing but logs and bits of wood floating down. She was about to turn away when she froze.

Floating down the river was what looked like a large tarp but…could it be? What the tarp was wrapped around was something she didn't expect to see. It looked like some kind of bike, almost like a mountain bike.

She watched it go past her with awe and just shook her head, wondering if she had hit it on the rocks and was seeing things.

Someone gripped her arm from behind and she screamed.

Sawyer froze. The scream had echoed around the jungle and he knew it was Kate. He turned and looked at Alex who looked scared.

"Stay a few feet behind me," he whispered to her before taking off towards the sound of the scream.

Sawyer ran through the jungle, looking back every so often to make sure Alex was there. In his mind he was struggling with the fact that Satine was probably dead. She was so weak, and so frail. There was no way she could have fought that current and won. This girl behind him was younger than her and build stronger and still barely made it.

He came up to a level area where the ground wasn't as muddy. The rain had tapered off and it was getting lighter out. It was already mid morning but the rain made it look like late evening.

Slowly he crept through the trees and back out onto the riverbank. Alex hovered nervously behind him.

There was no one there. It was the only other bank large enough to climb up onto and it was surrounded by rocks. If the scream had come from anywhere it would have come from here.

But as he looked around the area something caught his eye. The river wasn't carrying only broken trees and branches now. Objects were floating by and Sawyer blinked twice when he saw a mattress float by. He looked back at Alex who had come out and was staring with wide eyes as a toaster went floating by.

"Are you seeing this?" Sawyer asked her disbelievingly.

She didn't answer but kept staring as more items when flowing away. They saw a chair, some shoes, a few suitcases, what looked like a coffee maker, some tarp, a few pillows, and a lamp or too. The items began to taper off but some still came down.

"Maybe a plane crashed," said Sawyer thoughtfully, looking up the river at the mountain. "It's possible the stuff fell out."

"We would have seen it. That mountain isn't that high," she said, looking up into the very light drizzle. "Come on we need to find the others."

Jack was practically running through the jungle as they went. Eko and John kept up but occasionally had to call out to Jack that he needed to slow down, that it was dangerous to move so fast through uncharted territory. Jack ignored everything Locke said but listened to Eko mainly because he seemed so wise.

They had reached the incline and began up the farther side. It was hard and very muddy. All three of them were covered in mud by the time they reached the top.

"Oh my god…" breathed Jack.

The entire valley was flooded. It was worse than he had seen from the top of his ledge. It filled the valley and went out into the trees. It was flowing down and meeting the river that originally ran down from the mountain, merging into what looked like grand rapids.

"They couldn't have survived," whispered John.

"Shut up!" Jack snapped. "Come on."

They began moving towards the riverbank. They went around and found riverbank leading almost all the way up the newly formed river but ending in the middle where they'd have to cut into the woods and around to keep traveling up. As they started off Jack stopped.

"Look," he said, pointing at the water.

A bike was floating by, partially wrapped in a tarp. The three of them watched it go and disappear over the edge of the incline that would flow the water down into the river and the many streams across the island.

"Was that a…" John began.

"Look!" said Eko this time.

Coming down the river was everything you could imagine including what looked like several women's dresses and large plastic boxes with what looked like toys in them. They all stared in awe as everything flowed past and disappeared off the ledge.

Eko stepped down and walked closer to the water's edge where his feet sank into the soft mud. He bent down and lifted out a small child's toy, a teddy bear. He looked at it for a long time before placing it back in the water and watching it sweep away with the current.

They walked along in silence for a long time. They had barely gotten halfway when Eko stopped.

"I will cross the river here, it is shallow. I will look on that side, you look on this side. We will cover more ground split up," he said, turning towards the water.

"I'll go with you," said John quickly, following Eko into the water.

Jack watched them cross and got nervous when it rose to their waists. But they were able to wade across, fighting the current that pulled them towards the incline. They reached the other side and Eko gave a wave before starting off.

Walking alone Jack felt suddenly very scared. John had seemed so sure that no one could have survived it. But why listen to John Locke anyway, he was a quack. He was the one who had left Alex in the jungle by herself, prompting this search party.

His view of Eko and John was cut off when the river split in two. One lead up a steeper hill, the way Eko and John were headed while Jack's seemed to wind into the hills with many steep drop offs where water was floating hard against the rocks. At several points, trees lay across the water where it was thinner and then at other times it was wide enough to fit a steamer through. The soil was horribly muddy and every step Jack took sunk him deeper into it. He had to keep fighting it as he kept walking, searching for any sign of them.

Reaching a particularly rough part of the river, Jack looked up. He was looking up the river towards where he supposed the riverbank had failed and the water from even higher on the hill had crashed down in what was probably a terrifying wave. He tried not to imagine Kate and the others being swept away by a wave.

"JACK!"

Looking up, he felt his heart drop.

"Sawyer slow down!" Alex demanded as they hurried down the bank. "Please!"

"We have no time! We have to find them!" he spat back at her, keeping his pace.

"We're not looking well enough!" she replied angrily, coming up beside him as he walked in long strides. "We need to search everywhere!"

"They're probably back at camp already," he said more to himself than to her. "The river probably carried them so far that they just went back."

"Sawyer they had to have gotten out. The rapids would have killed them," she whispered.

He ignored her and walked faster. The sky had opened up again and the rain fell hard on him. He began to get angry at himself, the weather, Alex, and just everything. Why did he have to come looking for this damn kid? It was now probably her fault that Satine was probably dead.

Just the thought sent his stomach into knots. He tried to sweep the thought away, trying to imagine her back at his tent waiting for him.

Kate breathed a sigh of relief to see a drenched Sayid standing beside her. She embraced him in a quick hug.

"Are you alright?" he asked, shaking his wet hair from his eyes as the rain continued to pound them.

"Yeah. Where are Sawyer and Satine?" she asked, scanning the jungle behind him.

"I don't know. They might have climbed out sooner or later, I was too disoriented to tell. The water gets very rough up ahead," he said carefully, watching Kate's eyes.

"We need to look for them," she said.

"We'll go down river first in case they were swept," he said sensibly.

"No. Because if they got out sooner, they could be back farther. I don't want to risk moving away from them. You go back that way and look for them. If you find them, shout for me. I wont go farther than the incline," she said quickly, barely breathing. Her chest was tight both from the water and from fear. If anything had happened to Sawyer, she'd know it was all her fault.

"Okay," said Sayid tentatively. He seemed cautious and almost afraid of her. She began to shiver as she gave his arm a pat and started down the hill.

The rain lightened up as she walked and she began to wonder if the camp had been flooded also. It was perfectly possible that the water had reached them. She prayed everyone was alright.

Just as she reached the harsher part of the water, she stopped. She could hear something, but wasn't sure what it was.

The sound of the water and the rain seemed to drown everything out. She spun around, sure she had heard something. Then she did, it was someone shouting, someone screaming…


	48. Chapter 48: Hang On

Spinning around she scanned the water. She couldn't see anything and the water smashing and splashing around and against the rocks didn't help. The rain seemed to fall harder and she ran ahead more and then she saw.

Clinging on with barely any strength was Satine, her fingers gripping a branch that was wedged between two of the boulders. All around the river crashed and it was the roughest part of the water. She clung on, her body being thrown from side to side as the water smashed past her. She was among many rocks but directly behind her was a ten-foot drop into more rocks and if she let go, it'd be over.

"SATINE!" Kate shouted, dashing forward.

Satine looked up weakly and saw Kate and her eyes widened. She had both arms wrapped around this branch that Kate hoped would last.

Kate dashed around to the rocks, which began at the shore and climbed up. The water splashing over them made them slippery and she gripped them carefully as she tried to climb towards her. But there was a gap in the boulders and about three feet of harsh waters lay between Kate and Satine.

"Help me!" cried Satine softly. She seemed to be weakening. "Where's Sawyer?"

Not having time to answer that question, she looked back. There was no way she could run back and find Sayid in time. Looking back at Satine she knew she had to jump in order to get to Satine and pull her out of the water before the current sucked her down.

Preparing herself, she took a deep breath. The rain was now a lighter drizzle and she knew if she landed wrong, if she slipped, it was over. She would go over the ledge and fall to her death on the rocks. Moving this image from her mind, she looked at Satine.

"Hold on!" she shouted to the girl desperately clinging to the sopping wet branch. She looked weak and Kate saw her grip had loosened. "I'm coming!"

"Don't! You'll fall!" shouted Satine.

As she spoke, the branch gave an unexpected jerk as it moved upwards with the swell of the water, breaking itself out from between the two boulders. Satine let out a scream as it remained lodged but only on one side, turning the branch so she was hanging by the very end of it, scrambling to hold on.

Satine's head went below the surface of the water and Kate gasped. But moments later she broke the surface again, pulling herself higher up the branch and using a nearby boulder to sturdy herself.

Now Satine was even farther and Kate knew there was no way she could jump without accidentally knocking them both off the end. Looking down over the rocks, her eyes widened.

"JACK!"

Sawyer and Alex kept walking and with every step the realization of the inevitable was becoming clearer and clearer to Sawyer. He hadn't heard from them yet, and if they hadn't pulled themselves out by now they were gone. He kept his head down as they walked and Alex soon began wondering if he would lead her even farther into the unknown jungle than she had been.

"Wait!" Alex reached out and seized his arm. "Listen!"

Up ahead, just around a clump of trees were voices. Sawyer froze, every nerve in his body focused on listening to those voices. Alex had stiffened beside him and moved closer, putting a frightened hand on his arm. Neither moved nor breathed as they waited and the voices drew closer.

"John!" Sawyer burst, seeing John and Eko come around the corner.

But Alex had backed away and Sawyer saw this. He knew it was because she had remembered him drugging her.

"Did you see Kate or Sayid?" asked Sawyer of John. He was afraid to say Satine's name.

"No. Jack is walking up the other fork of the river. We should head back down and wait for him," Eko said, his eyes on Alex.

John had looked at Alex and their eyes met. Alex was suddenly bombarded with his past, his memories and everything that had happened to him. Why she hadn't seen this before when she met him, she didn't know. But as the wave of memories ended, she realized he had been paralyzed when he got off the plane and perfectly fine when it crashed.

They began walking and Alex hung back beside Eko. She barely knew him, probably didn't even know his name but she seemed comforted by his size and the fact that he had taken concern in her bleeding head. John and Sawyer walked in front of them as they quickly trudged through the mud.

The sun was beginning to come out which was a welcome sight. It shone off the wet jungle and the water of the newly formed river sparkled almost nastily at them. Sawyer wondered if Satine could see the sun.

"JACK!" Kate had screamed, seeing him standing below on the riverbank.

Jack's heart had dropped but his stomach was jumping with joy. She stood at the top of a larger ledge on the opposite side and as his eyes focused against the sun that was just coming out, he saw someone was in the water just before the drop.

He knew it was Satine before he'd even started running up the incline. Reaching the top he went out towards the rocks but knew if he fell in the water he'd be swept over the edge.

"Help!" Satine screamed as she slipped a few inches.

Kate was perched on the edge of her rock as though ready to jump.

"What are you doing?" Jack shouted to her over the sound of the raging water.

"I can reach her but I need you to be ready to grab me before I go over," she said loudly to him, her eyes on Satine who kept going below the surface. "Move out more!"

"No! You're not jumping!" he said angrily. If she jumped and hit the water she'd sweep right by him and he'd be able to grab her. But what if he couldn't? What if they were both pulled down?

"Get ready!" Kate shouted.

"No! Kate!"

She leapt with all her might towards the rock that the branch was lodged between. As she did, Jack saw Satine's head go under the water but this time she didn't come up. Her hands grappled at the branch, which was now a soggy log. He could see her hair floating with the bubbling surface and as Kate hit the rock awkwardly and painfully, Satine's hands disappeared below the water.

Jack leaned forward and reached down. He could see Satine's shadow under the water as the strong current dragged her along the very bottom of the river. He got on his stomach on the rock and with all of his might seized her shirt, which was the first thing he could grab, and yanked upwards.

She broke the surface but didn't sputter and cough as before. Instead she was unconscious. Looking up, Jack saw Kate struggling to stay on top of the rock which was now in the middle of the river. Everytime she'd almost get on top, the water would drag her down.

He had no time to do CPR, he had to help Kate. Pulling Satine up onto the rock he dragged her back to shore quickly and ran full speed over the rocks and leapt as hard as he could towards Kate.

Jack's knees smashed into the rock painfully and he reached out and seized Kate's arms. With him on one side of the rock and her on the other, each holding each other's arms they were able to stay up. Kate coughed and choked for a moment.

"Jack! You moron!" she coughed, looking at him over the water which kept smashing into them.

"Kate!" he tried to say but the water was smashing him into the rock and he grunted in pain. "I have to let go."

"What?" she gasped, choking again as a wave hit her in the face.

"If I hold on I'm going to slip," he said, trying to get balance with his foot but it kept slipping and his arms were failing to hold him up.

"No!" she screamed. "HELP! SAYID!"

Jack wasn't really thinking as he hung there. But all he knew was that if he held on he would slip and drag Kate down with him. But if he could use his weight to move her higher onto the rock she could remain safe until they helped her off. Once in the water he would be dragged down and unless he could find a grip on one of the rocks, he'd go over the ledge.

The fact that he would die didn't really hit him for a moment. He just knew that to keep Kate alive he had to do this. For a moment he went back to the last time she had kissed him when he'd gone to bed inside the hatch. He was glad this was what he had thought of and not any of the other horrific incidents on the island.

"Jack," Kate was pleading, crying as she tried to cling to his arms but both of them were slipping down. "No."

Sawyer had seen Satine lying on the ground on the riverbank before anyone else did. They were on the opposite side of the river but where he was looked shallow. Without thinking he ran forward into the water.

"SAWYER!" Sayid shouted, running after him.

Eko, Sayid, and John followed. When they got to the water Eko lifted Alex and carried her across in pursuit of Sawyer who was already waist deep in the water and coming up the other side.

"Kid!" he fell to his knees beside her but as he did he looked up and couldn't believe what he saw.

Kate and Jack were barely hanging onto a rock in the middle of the raging water that was being crashed around the rocks and boulders that had once been in the valley. The water was rough, smashing into the rocks and sending sprays of water into the air making rainbows in the sunlight. Every so often they'd go out of view as a wave would crash over them. But it was clear to see neither could hold on much longer because they were holding onto each other to keep themselves on.

Sayid and Eko were already to the end of the rocks closest to Kate and Jack. Jack's head was barely above water and he was pulling Kate up the opposite side as he sank down. She was trying to yank him up but he kept going down until he disappeared below the water.

Eko did something none of them expected him to do. He jumped down into the water, disappearing for a moment under it. They were less than a few feet from the drop and Sayid watched in wonder as the shadow of Jack traveling from the boulder where Kate now securely held on, almost to the edge of the cliff.

Eko's head popped up above the water and in one arm was Jack who was coughing and choking. Sayid and Alex reached down, and seized Eko's other hand.

"Pull him up!" Kate shouted from where she was.

The water was hard and was pulling Eko against them. Alex grabbed Jack's arm and pulled him up onto the rocks and then seized Eko's other hand and went to pull him up but he shook his head.

"Kate!" shouted Eko. "Jump down!"

She widened her eyes as though to ask if he was crazy. But Sayid and Alex had a firm grip of one of his arms and he'd be easily able to catch her before she went by. Looking from Jack who lay coughing on the rocks to Sawyer who was bent over Satine, she took a deep breath.

The water seemed to suck her down and she felt her back scratch against the bottom of the river painfully. Her arms and legs smashed into the rocks around her and she felt the bottom of the river disappear from under her when a very strong hand gripped her wrist.

She came out of the water but it continued to drag the rest of her body, sending her legs over the edge. Eko held on and Alex and Sayid gripped him tightly as she went swinging over the edge, out of the water and into the air, above the steep drop. Looking down she screamed and held onto Eko's hand as she smashed back into the water where Eko pulled her strongly up and onto the rocks.

They all went stumbling towards the riverbank, Eko and Sayid with Jack between them. They dropped him down but looked over at Sawyer.

"Kid," he was saying very gently. Kate, who was panting and choking, was silent for a moment. "Kid, come on. Come on."

Jack went to stand to help but collapsed. He was too weak from hanging on. Eko slowly rose to his feet and walked over, kneeling on the other side of Satine who lay motionless and pale.

He knew she was dead. She had to be. She was so weak to begin with there was no way she had lived. If she survived this it would truly be a miracle.

"She is strong," said Eko quietly, putting a large hand on Satine's head. He seemed to dwarf her in size. "She is not meant to die. She has not yet, and she wont today."

Sawyer just looked down at her for a moment and what Eko had said seemed to pass through him. Somehow he believed she was strong, she was resilient. Look what she had survived, being shot twice and also being kidnapped. She was a very strong person. And if she was really meant to die she'd be dead because many scenarios could have lead to her death.

Very gently Eko placed a hand on Satine's stomach and pushed.

Satine sat up quickly, coughing up water. Sawyer quickly grabbed her and hugged her to him. He knew they were watching, and made it short but couldn't help but give her a smile as she looked around.

"Where's John?" asked Jack weakly. He was barely able to sit up. He had looked around and found he was no where in sight.

"John!" shouted Eko into the jungle.

There was no answer.

"He was just here," said Kate, who had knelt beside Jack. "He…"

"No, he wasn't there when we pulled you out," Alex said quickly.

They looked at each other and then to Alex who just shrugged. For a moment they just stared at each other and then there was a terrible boom…and all was lit up in what looked like a fireworks show but what was really a rather large explosion maybe a mile east of where they sat. All of them stared as a cloud of fire and smoke rose above the trees and then disappeared across the river and to the east. No one spoke and then Eko stood.

"We need to leave."


	49. Chapter 49: Together Forever

(flashback)

Without any kind of hesitation they threw Alex hard onto a cold cement floor in a room with no windows. Immediately after her came Dominic who rolled lifelessly across the floor and lay motionless.

Two figures stood in the doorway, silhouetted by the light from the hall. Alex doubled in pain, her ribs searing.

"We'll deal with them later," said Ethan's voice. "We need to find Claire."

The door shut and they were left in complete darkness except for a thin strip of light under the door. For a moment she lay on the cold cement, the pain in her side unbearable. They had struck her several times in the face and she was pretty sure her nose was broken.

Turning over, in the very dim light she saw Dominic lying there without moving. She crawled towards him slowly, grunting in pain. When she reached him she saw his eyes were open.

"Are you okay?" she asked him worriedly.

"The things I do for you," he said, laughing but wincing at the pain. "Did you get her out?"

"Yes," she whispered. "I think she'll be okay once she wakes up."

"What if they follow her back to her people?" he whispered, straining to sit up.

"They won't. And if they do, I'm sure they wont get her without a fight," she replied. "Are you badly hurt?"

"No, just my arm," he said, looking down at his right arm which was sitting at a strangle angle. "I think they may have dislocated it."

It was quiet in there and for a long time they sat in silence, unsure of what would happen. Alex had only gotten into very bad trouble once a few years ago when she had decided to leave the compound to find Dominic. He had been on a hunt with some people looking for boar and she needed to find him to tell him something she'd found out. They had found her but not hurt her, just put her in this tiny empty and dark room for a day and let her out, hoping she'd learned her lesson.

They had no idea how long it was before the door opened and someone stepped inside.

"These are the two who helped her escape," said Ethan angrily. There was fury in his voice.

"I'll take care of it," said a deeper, harsher voice.

The door was closed and there were footsteps.

(end flashback)

"Where's Jack?"

Claire had come into the hatch to find Hurley sitting at the computer, asleep in the chair. He jerked awake at the sound of her voice.

"Huh? What?" he said quickly, sitting up and trying to look alert.

"Where's Jack?" repeated Claire. She didn't have Aaron with her and looked very strange without the usual bundle in her arms.

"He went somewhere," Hurley shrugged. "I think he went to follow Kate and Sayid."

"Where is everyone going?" she asked confusedly, coming over and crossing her arms. "There are so many secrets around here. Every other day someone is hurt. Everyone is always running off into the jungle."

"Yeah man we're getting to be like a real Gilligan's Island here," Hurley laughed.

"Whose island?" she asked.

Hurley just shook his head.

"Did you find him?" asked Charlie, coming in behind her with Aaron and glancing at Hurley. "Where is everyone?"

"I just told her, man. I don't know. Jack left to find Kate and Sayid," Hurley explained, feeling very pressured. He stood up and walked around the desk.

"Where are Kate and Sayid?" asked Charlie.

"I DON'T KNOW!" shouted Hurley angrily, causing Aaron to start to cry. "I don't have all the answers! All I have to do is press the damn button!"

Claire and Charlie just stared at him for a moment before turning and leaving the hatch.

"Something exploded," said Kate, standing up. "Maybe John set off a trap or something."

"It looked like it was fuel," said Eko quickly. "The smoke was dark black."

"We have to see if he's okay!" insisted Kate, climbing to her feet. All of them were wet now and shivering in a breeze that had picked up. The sun was now completely out and it could almost have been beautiful up there had they not all been through what they had.

"It might not even be where he is!" Sayid insisted, looking worriedly in that direction.

"Come on!"

Kate didn't care what John had done to Alex or Satine, she didn't care that the moment they got him back they'd probably lock him up. He was John, and he had helped them survive like no one else had. He was one of the smartest people there, maybe the craziest but also the smartest. She had to know he was okay.

She took off into the jungle with Sayid and Eko at her heels. Sawyer and Jack stayed on the riverbank with Satine and Alex.

She tried to stay in the direction she figured the explosion came from. As she ran she smell of something burning reached her and as she drew closer she could see the sunshine filtering through what looked like heavy smoke among the trees, not able to rise because of the thick canopy.

Sayid arrived beside her and they slowed down. Just ahead, there was something burning. And then as they came even closer they saw John.

He stood with his back to them, not moving. Kate ran forward and hurried to stand in front of him.

"John?" she panted. "Are you okay?"

His eyes were wide and confused as he stared straight ahead. She waved her hand in front of his face and he just kept staring. Sayid had begun to stare also, but Eko had continued to walk past them.

Turning around Kate saw what looked like a small military plane lying broken and crushed in a large clearing, the front half dug into the muddy ground with the tail section broken off and standing almost straight up. It was burning and all around it gasoline lay burning in puddles. It did not ignite the trees or grass because of how wet everything was but the gasoline floated on top of several smaller streams running through.

"It's…a plane," whispered Sayid, moving with Eko.

"It's a Military plane," said John, coming out of his trance. He recognized the green outer shell and smaller propellers. But from where he was he could not see what country it was from.

But Sayid was the only person who went forward, stepping around the puddles and jumping over several burning pieces of wreckage and knelt beside the smashed cockpit door. They were all silent and waited with baited breath as he was obscured by flames for a moment and then stood.

"It's an Iraqi plane," said Sayid calmly, although his face showed numbness.

"What was it doing in the South Pacific?" asked Eko curiously, walking over to the plane and examining it.

"John, why did you leave?" demanded Kate, turning around to face him.

"I saw something go down. I…I had to see what it was," he said carefully as though choosing his words.

"Is everyone dead inside?" asked Kate, seeing Eko looking in the cockpit too. He stood and nodded.

"There might be supplies we can use," said John.

"Military planes don't carry anything but ammo and weapons. That's probably why it exploded," said Sayid, but he looked confused. "But I don't understand why it was so far south."

"Maybe it was headed for America," Kate said, shrugging. "We should get back."

"You're saying it could be a terrorist plane," Sayid said sharply, turning away to face the burning plane.

"No I'm not!" insisted Kate, shaking her head. "No, Sayid. That was not what I was implying!"

"We don't know anything about what's going on out there, who's to say it's not?" asked a voice behind them. Sawyer came out of the jungle with Satine and Alex. "How do we know we're not at war?"

"We were at war," Kate corrected him.

"I know that, genius," snapped Sawyer. "I mean how do we know it hasn't come back at us. Maybe they're attacking."

"It is a war on terrorism," said Eko, frowning at this discussion. "Not a destruction."

"Lord knows they've destructed enough," snapped Sayid.

"You sayin' we ain't doin our job, Muhammed?" Sawyer approached Sayid.

"I'm saying that no matter what, when we tell them everyone at the beach will believe this was some kind of terrorist plane!" shouted Sayid angrily and Kate saw the frustration in his face. "And everyone will connect me to them!"

"We already know what you are!" Sawyer yelled back at him.

Sayid shoved Sawyer hard and Sawyer retaliated with a sharp punch that send Sayid stumbling back. Recovering, Sayid ran forward and tackled Sawyer to the ground, punching him hard several times in the face before Sawyer gave a hard kick and Sayid flew back.

"STOP!" Kate screamed.

Eko moved forward and seized Sawyer's arm, the same arm he'd been shot in. He shouted in pain and yanked it away. Eko caught Sayid just before he plowed into Sawyer again.

"Enough," boomed Eko, his voice echoing around the clearing, causing both of them to freeze.

"We don't know anything about this plane," said John calmly, coming out from behind the plane where he'd been looking. "But we need to check inside just to be sure."

"It doesn't explain the stuff in the water," Kate said. "All those things."

"Like a mattress?" asked Jack, coming slowly into the clearing. He had taken a little longer to get there as he was so tired. "Something dropped those things and I don't doubt it was this plane."

"Maybe the flood washed out the place they were dropping it to," suggested Satine, who was standing with her arms crossed beside Sawyer. She looked small next to him and it was almost comical.

"But why would you drop a mattress and a bike and like a toaster and stuff?" Jack said, shaking his head. "No, I don't think those things were dropped. I think they were somewhere higher on the mountain and the flood washed them away."

"Maybe like a storage center?" Kate shrugged. "I can't think of anything else."

Sayid ignored the conversation and was busy prying the broken cockpit door off. When he wrenched it away, they all stopped talking and looked at him as he climbed over the dead body of the pilot.

"Brave," said Alex in a whisper.

John bent beside the cockpit door and they watched as he unlatched the seatbelt of the pilot, causing him to fall forward. They all got a few of his burnt, charred and destroyed face before John pulled him out and lay him on the ground.

Satine had looked away quickly, knowing that face would haunt her. But Alex had felt a strange pulse and suddenly felt terrified.

"We need to leave," she said quickly, very loudly. "There are more coming."

"What?" Kate looked at her confusedly.

She felt fear as though if they didn't move something horrible would happen and that someone would cause it. Horrible memories of being in that dark, cement room came back to her and she began backing away.

"Alex," said Jack, walking towards her. "It's okay."

"No," she shook her head with her eyes closed as though to rid herself of a thought. "No. We have to leave!"

John had removed the body of both pilots and moved them back towards the trees. Both were burned beyond recognition and Satine wondered if he'd bury them. Moments later Sayid appeared out of the cockpit.

"There's nothing in there but destroyed ammunition. Old shells, detonated bombs. It's too dangerous to search fully," he walked over the burning puddles. He looked very sincere and angry.

"Please," Alex was pleading with Jack a few feet away. "We have to leave."

"You're in shock. Everything has been very traumatic for you. Calm down," he was saying. "Please, I need you to…"

An almighty roar that seemed to rattle their eardrums and pierce right through them broke the silence. Satine had jumped ten feet in the air and seized Sawyer's arm.

It ceased and they all looked at each other.

"Run!"

(flashback)

It had been only an hour after the man had left, leaving them in darkness again and the pain Alex felt all over hadn't gone away. Where he had injected her with the needle was very sore, and she felt like he had beaten all the life out of her asking her where she'd taken Claire.

She lay on the cold cement floor beside Dominic who had gotten the brunt of it trying to protect her. He had actually done okay until the man hit him over the head. It had sent Dominic falling into the wall and to the floor where he hadn't moved again.

Now Alex lay beside him, looking into his face. He was awake but barely, moaning at the pain in his head and side. She held his hand tightly, feeling how warm it was against the cold floor.

"Do you think someday we'll leave?" she asked quietly, the darkness seeming to press in and listen to her every syllable.

"No," he croaked, giving her a wan smile. "But we can hope."

"Lie to me," she pleaded in a whisper, moving closer to him. "Lie to me just for tonight."

He squeezed her hand.

"One day, me and you are going to get married. We'll live in a really big house and our kids will be A plus students. We'll be rich and spend our lives vacationing and just lying in bed watching the day go by," he said carefully, his voice broken by tiny gasps of pain. He was shivering. "And when we get out of this room, we're going to leave here on a plane and have sushi for dinner."

"I don't like sushi," she whispered.

"You do in my lie," he replied, giving her another, stronger smile. "And in my lie, we're together forever."

"That's not a lie," she breathed.

"I know," he sighed. "It's a dream."

Closing her eyes she tightened her grip on his hand and he put one arm tentatively over her. It was freezing in here and he moved her closer so they were side by side. And very gently he kissed her cheek just as she drifted into an uneasy sleep.


	50. Chapter 50: Lost and Found

Jack had, without really meaning to, seized Kate's hand and pulled her as hard as he could as they all took off through the jungle. Sawyer ran behind Satine, terrified that she'd trip, or fall and they'd both be goners. Up ahead he could see Eko and John racing through the jungle.

The roar erupted again and all of them seemed to pick up speed as they all crashed out of the jungle onto the riverbank and sprinted down the river. The sun was low in the sky, meaning it was around mid afternoon. This was a random thought in Jack's head as he continued to pull Kate along beside him as the group of them ran as fast as they could down the bank.

Eko had slowed a bit and turned to them and they all stopped, crashing into each other.

"It isn't following us," he said quietly, looking around at the jungle. It was quiet, the only sound the rushing of the water. They all gazed around with him. "I think we're…"

An explosion of dirt and bits of tree erupted directly beside them, sending John and Sawyer flying backwards into the water. They scrambled up and out as they all took off again down the riverbank, this time Sawyer gripping Satine's hand with everything he had.

Turning the bank they all followed Eko as they shot straight into the woods towards the path that would lead them directly back to the hatch. Jack still had Kate's wrist and as they ran, he felt it suddenly jerk back hard and his arm twisted around and he fell hard onto his back.

"Jack!"

He had let go of her without even realizing. Turning over he saw she was sliding into what looked like a huge crevice in the earth where the muddy ground had caved in to reveal a deep gauge filled with murky water. She had stepped onto the edge of it and the ground had given way, sending her falling, her hands grappling at the mud.

Rushing forward he seized her arms but the ground proceeded to slide under him and every time he'd get a grip on her, his feet would slide forward.

The roar sounded like it was on top of them and the sound of something stomping through the woods, crushing trees and rustling the canopy was loud and right behind them.

"Jack! Hurry!" she pleaded, trying to get a stable footing and climb up but the mud was slick and all she did was slide further.

Out of nowhere a hand appeared, gripping Kate's arm below where Jack had her hand. She was pulled up sharply and all three of them went crashing to the ground.

"Sawyer," Kate began to say but he ignored her, turning and grabbing Satine again and taking off. Jack did the same to Kate and they all took off as another explosion occurred just before the pit.

They crashed through the jungle, not daring to look back. The roars continued to follow them and the explosions seemed to fade as they darted down the steep incline and through the thicker brush. None had slowed and Alex felt she would surely collapse soon but Eko remained at her side helping her along. They had reached the path back to the hatch and continued running when Eko stopped at the head of the column and they all followed his example.

"We are alright," said Eko, slightly breathless. "It does not come out of the territory."

"How do you know?" gasped Alex, terrified and shaking.

"Has it ever before?" John piped, leaning on his knees.

They continued slowly but Satine had stopped and Sawyer turned around as the group continued on.

"What?" he asked curiously.

She didn't answer, staring out at where they had just come through. He came up beside her.

"Do you hear that?" she asked, her eyes wide.

Sawyer listened and sure enough, it was the roaring but very distant. Yet it was closer than it had ever been to this area. They exchanged a look and turned around, speed walking to catch up.

(flashback)

Alex paused as she bent down to pick up some fallen fruit. Her sides were still extremely sore, as was her arm and the bruise on her cheek. But she had gone out with the rest of the girls to pick fruit for the storm that was coming.

"Are you coming?" asked one of the supervisors, a tall balding man who was seven times Alex's side. He stood over her, as she remained crouched, her eyes closed in pain. "Move it along."

She rose slowly and grit her teeth, continuing with her work. She hadn't seen Dominic in five days and after that one night they had separated them. Alex had remained in another room by herself for three more days before being allowed to go back to the normal regimen when they seemed assured that she didn't know where Claire was.

After a few more minutes she knew she couldn't keep going and leaned against a tree. A soft whispering made her spin around but someone clamped a hand over her mouth, pulling her backward behind the tree.

She went to scream but she was face to face with Dominic who was holding a finger to his lips. Her eyes widened and he smiled, removing his hand and pulling her away from where they were picking fruit and into the dense trees.

They reached a point where they could no longer see the others and Dominic kissed her hard on the lips and held her tight to him. She realized he was trembling and heard a soft sob escape his lips.

"Dom," she whispered, letting him hold her. "What is it?"

"I thought you were dead," he said hysterically, his voice shaking terribly.

"I'm not," she pulled away and looked hard at him, putting her hands on his face.

"I know," he hugged her again and then took a deep breath, stepping away. "Listen, we can't see each other anymore."

"What?" she was confused. For a long time their secret meetings had been all she had to look forward to of this horrible life. They would sneak off together and have moments she knew the other girls would never have. He wanted to end this?

"It's just…if we keep seeing each other they said if they catch us…they'll kill us," he whispered quietly, his hands shaking.

"That threat has been there all along and it's never stopped us," she replied, shaking her head. Her throat was getting tight. "No, we can't stop."

"I don't want to see you get hurt!" he insisted, and she saw how upset he was in his eyes. "But it's better for both of us."

"Maybe it's better for you!" she cried, tears beginning to fall. "But it's not for me! I need you, I…I don't want to be a zombie like the others."

"There are people on the other side of the island," he began, moving towards her, his eyes wide with fear. "They're not hostile, I think they're peaceful. It's where Claire came from. They were on that plane that crashed here."

"But they said everyone on it died," she breathed, unable to believe what she was hearing. "The infection, how have they survived?"

"There is no infection," he shook his head exasperatedly. "I explained this to you."

"I know, I'm sorry. I just…forget," she looked down but back at him. "How do you know they're not hostile."

"Because I saw them."

Her stomach dropped as she realized the risk he had taken.

"I was out chopping wood with the others and I saw one of them. They ran past really fast and I ran after them. I saw them all on the far beach, with tents and fires. And they were talking to each other, peacefully and it was almost…nice," he gave a desperate sort of smile that made Alex wish she had seen this also. "But they don't know about us, I'm pretty sure about that. I think they believe they're alone on the island."

"But how did Claire get away from them? If they're peaceful wouldn't they have tried to get her back?" asked Alex.

"They did. When they found her I'm pretty sure they helped her. She looked fine."

Alex felt a great sense of relief knowing Claire had gotten back to her people and that they were peaceful. It seemed to bring a large weight off her shoulders knowing her efforts weren't for nothing. But she had never thought that Claire had been a plane crash survivor. She thought she was one of the strange inhabitants living on the other side, the ones their people hated.

"Something is changing, they're nervous. I have a feeling we might be moving locations again," he looked around nervously. "I think they're afraid she'll lead them back here."

"If we move locations," she suddenly sounded desperate, "you could go to a different site. What if we're not at the same one?"

He looked down.

"That's why we need to stop. It'll be easier if we say goodbye," he whispered.

She hugged him as tightly as she could, closing her eyes and letting the tears fall. It was inevitable that they would be separated for who knew how long. These meetings would be impossible.

"I'll find you again," he whispered, smiling at her. "I promise."

And she believed him. Carefully she reached up and unclasped the tiny silver chain around her neck. It was a symbol that she was a teenager at the compound and the color said where her bunker was. But if she said she'd lost it they'd give her a new one. She wanted something to give to him, something for him to keep.

She reached towards him and put the chain around his neck, hiding it beneath his shirt. The boys didn't wear necklaces, they wore bracelets. She supposed it was to show masculinity. But once it was on she looked sadly at him and realized how much she really loved him.

But just as she was about to tell him that there was rustling and out of the trees came one of the supervisors holding a gun. It was a dart gun, she knew this, but she still recoiled.

"What are you doing here?" he shouted at Dominic, raising the gun.

"NO!" screamed Alex, jumping forward and pushing the gun off to one side. "Run! Dominic, run!"

He hesitated but then took off through the jungle back towards his group. She wrestled with the supervisor for only moments before he fired his gun. She only realized it wasn't a dart gun when she saw the blood flowing from her leg before she passed out.

(end flashback)

The flooding around the caves only got worse as days went by. The runoff was coming straight down towards them and soon everything had to be moved from the caves and into the hatch. Even the walls of the hatch seemed to leak sometimes, and the water coming from the sink was sometimes murky brown. The jungle was constantly muddy even if it hadn't rained in weeks. Jack knew it would only get worse as time went on.

But it was the least of the survivor's problems. Everyone knew what John had done, Alex had made sure of that. She had gotten quickly very friendly with all of the survivors which surprised many, seeing as Satine hadn't barely spoken to ten of them. Some found it refreshing seeing a young new and friendly face among the usual crowd. Oftentimes Satine would hear herself being compared to Alex, and how different they were and how it would benefit her to be more social.

Satine didn't want to be social, and didn't care if others wanted her to be. Ever since the moment she'd lain eyes on Alex she knew there was something there. She had seen Alex before, no doubt about it but Satine couldn't figure out where. Her face, her attitude, everything was so familiar to Satine it was like meeting your favorite actor or actress on the street and immediately knowing them but not being able to place the name.

John now faced new criticism and judgment from everyone, and oftentimes fear. At one time Claire had been close with John, but now she seemed to huddle Aaron closer to her chest when John approached. No one wanted to be left alone with him, knowing what he had done to both Satine and Alex. Jack sometimes found this unfair, seeing as they had all come out of it alive despite nearly fatal consequences. If he had the say, he would have had John locked in the hatch and have Libby the psychiatrist come down and evaluate him. He had approached Libby on it once or twice and she agreed if he could get Locke to sit down and cooperate, she would do so.

As for Rousseau, she hadn't made an appearance since Alex had run off. No one said a word about it to Alex about her mother, but Kate and Jack often wondered if Rousseau would ever return to see her daughter again. Sometimes Hurley claimed to see the French woman tramping through the jungle, watching Alex carefully from a distance. But then again Hurley had also tried to blow up the food locker.

Two weeks to the day of the flood, Jack found himself once again without sleep. He hadn't slept in two days because he had been working on water proofing the pipes in the hatch with Jin and Eko. The pipes had been cracking with the new pressure of all the water above, and they electrical tape on the cracks. It was the best they had and they knew it wouldn't last. But they had to hope that a dry spell would come and the land would dry up again.

Jack finished taping a pipe and stepped down from his chair only to collide with Alex.

"Sorry," he apologized. She looked concerned and he turned to her. "You alright?"

"I know you're not a psychiatrist," she said quietly. "But you're the closest thing to one and you're not Libby."

"Not a fan of Libby?" Jack asked.

No, she replied in her head, because she's not a psychiatrist. But Alex wasn't going to be the one to tell the rest of the survivors that.

"I just would rather talk to you," she said. "Do you mind?"

Jack looked over at Eko and Jin who were watching with interest from their places on top of chairs working in removed panels in the ceiling. Jack put down his tape and walked with Alex out of the hatch and into the jungle.

The mud squelched under their feet but they had all gotten used to it. They chose a dryer path towards the beach and walked slowly.

"I've been…kind of seeing things that…hurt," she began, uncertain of how to say it. "Like, I'll have a memory of before the explosion and it'll hurt."

"How so? And where?" he asked, looking concerned.

"I was shot once, when I was back at the compound. It wasn't bad, it didn't hit the bone in my leg, but it hurt. And they fixed me up and I healed fine. It's completely fine now but…I'll have a dream remembering it and I'll wake up in excruciating pain," she said calmly.

"Well, it's normal to have phantom pains of previous injuries. It could also still be tender," he nodded.

"But it's not just that," she whispered. She had stopped walking and looked at him. "Sometimes I'll see…other people get hurt and…I'll have the same injury."

Jack felt suddenly like this wasn't something anyone got. This wasn't a phantom pain. Suddenly he felt the same feeling he got whenever he was around Satine.

"Sawyer was shot in the shoulder, correct?" she asked quietly, looking up and down the path as though expecting Sawyer to be hiding behind a tree. Jack nodded. "I dreamt about it, about him and Michael on the raft because Michael had told me the whole story. I dreamt of Sawyer being shot."

"Well it's normal to dream about something someone tells you," Jack said uneasily.

"Jack, if I show you something you can't show anyone," she whispered. He nodded, suddenly terrified. "I dream he was shot and…I woke up to this."

Carefully she pulled over the collar of her white t-shirt and Jack held back a gasp. Her shoulder was bright red with a wound that distinctly resembled a bullet hole wound that was partially healed. The hole was closed and bright red, but bleeding around the edges and still looking slightly infected. He went to touch it and she gasped.

"Did someone do this to you?" he asked seriously. "You can tell me."

"No one did this to me," she said desperately. She was afraid of this. "I know I have something that other people here don't have…"

"Well, not exactly…" Jack began, thinking of Satine.

"But this has never happened before. This island does something to you, it makes everything you have more prominent. And this," she motioned to her shoulder and closed her eyes as though it hurt to think about it, "is just the beginning. You people, your lives are all so complicated. It rings in my head like crazy, I can barely sleep!"

"Michael didn't tell you about the raft," Jack whispered, his eyes wide. "You knew."

She looked away and Jack suddenly realized something.

"Alex, do you think it's possible Satine was at your compound before?" he asked curiously. "Do you think it's possible?"

"No," she shook her head, wiping her eyes. She was very frustrated and couldn't understand why he was asking about Satine. "Why?"

"She has the same thing, people's pasts running through her head. I don't know if she has it as bad, if she does she hides it. But she's exactly like you, and I think she may have been a part of it," he was talking very fast, looking around crazily. "It makes sense. But the fact that she's back here now…it's just too much of a coincidence. Maybe…hey maybe they knew about her and that's why the tried…"

"JACK!" Alex exclaimed. "You're not making sense!"

"I have to find Kate," he turned to walk away but looked back at her. "Honey, we may find an answer to all of this."

She watched him run away and felt like it had been a complete and total waste to tell him all of it. She put a hand to her shoulder and sighed. It didn't hurt much, just kind of tingled. It didn't feel like a real wound, almost like some kind of Hollywood makeup. But when she looked it just seemed so real.

Walking back up the path, she realized a horrible smell rising from the water in the mud beneath he trees. She covered her mouth and continued walking but it only got worse because the wind had changed. Coughing, she turned and looked around the trees. Suddenly she froze.

Lying in a large bog of mud, was a corpse. It was decayed and rotted the skin black and green, the mud partially covering it. It wore simple beige pants and no shirt, but around the partially missing throat was a thin silver chain…

Alex screamed.


	51. Chapter 51: Remember Me

(Sorry bout the lack of updates. I went away this week PLUS my best friend had a baby girl. So I've been kind of preoccupied. But I think I might be able to update tomorrow but dont count on it. Thanks guys. Normal updating again on Friday.)

Jack and Kate had been heading back to the beach when they heard Alex's scream. Looking at each other, they both took off in the opposite direction, racing towards the other end of the path.

Kate skidded to a halt first causing Jack to stop right behind her. She was holding her hand over her mouth and nose and gagging.

"What is that?" Kate coughed hard. "Oh god."

Jack looked around but he didn't see Alex anywhere. He continued up the path a bit but the smell was horrible, causing his stomach to churn terribly. He breathed through his mouth as he paced, looking on each side of the path. The sunshine was shining through the canopy illuminating the muddy ground. He searched for footprints and was about to turn around when he stopped.

Lying in the mud just a few feet from the path was a corpse with a thin silver chain around it's rotting throat. Jack stepped back and turned away, retching into the bushes. He heard soft breathing and thought Kate had come up behind him but he turned around and saw no one.

Listening hard, he looked around, careful not to look at the body. He spun in a circle before he saw her.

Alex was curled beneath a tree a little bit up the path, her eyes wide and her whole body trembling as she stared at the body. Her breath was coming in short gasps and she looked pale as she stared without any expression.

"Alex?" Jack hurried over to her, bending down. "Alex? Can you hear me?"

She didn't answer. Kate came up the trail and saw Jack and hurried over.

"What happened?" she asked Jack but Jack just nodded his head in the other direction and when Kate saw it she closed her eyes for a moment as though trying not to throw up. The smell was even stronger here, the horrible smell of rotting flesh.

"Who is it?" Kate coughed, covering her mouth and nose again.

"Dominic," Alex said before Jack could say he didn't know. "Dominic."

Jack suddenly realized it was the boy he had buried. Back when they were traveling from the other camp, he had an infected bullet wound. He remembered how upset Alex was for him to die, and then Jack had dug a shallow grave. But the flood had moved a lot of the earth and it must have uncovered his body, sending it down the incline in the flow of water.

He felt horrible, realizing Alex had probably just been walking down the path when the body of her friend had suddenly appeared out of the trees.

"Come on, honey," Kate said gently to Alex, taking her arm. But Alex pulled away, still trembling. "Alex, please. Come. It's okay."

(flashback)

"It's okay," said Cindy as they placed the last of the bodies in the large pit. "I think we're okay now."

"OKAY?" screeched Alex. Her face was filthy and her arms cut up. Her side ached from being hit with a piece of the building. "HOW IS THIS OKAY?"

"We've survived," said the blonde woman. "We're going to be okay."

Alex turned away. All she could think about was Dominic, and whether he had been sent out to with the ranks. He was young and strong, but he also had a very weak knee from an injury he'd sustained when he was twelve. Perhaps they wouldn't allow him to go?

But everyone had been infected, Alex told herself. There was no way he was alive.

This horrible pang of loss seemed to fill Alex and she wanted to do something to take her mind off of it.

"We should go and see what's left in the compound," said Cindy quietly. "Come on."

They spent three days cleaning out the compound of what was left. Some dead bodies where there, and some spills of chemicals. When they'd finished that, Cindy had them go out and gather food and water. But when they returned she only let them stay in one of the empty, bare rooms. They had cleaned everything out a long time ago.

On the fourth day, Cindy had declared that she was going back to the tents to see if she could find supplies. One of the women had gotten sick and seemed to not be getting any better.

"Alex," Cindy said harshly, not in her usual tone of voice. "Come."

It was rare Alex was asked to do anything since she was one of the youngest. She stood shakily and followed Cindy out.

"I chose you because I think you understand what is going on," said Cindy, not walking in the direction of the tents. Instead they went around the compound and went South. "You seem to be realistic."

"What?" Alex felt confused.

"There are people that will want our shelter," said Cindy. "Everyone else was killed when they went out, but the people who won what battle will want our compound. We have to be careful. We need to know who our allies are."

"Where are we going?" asked Alex quietly.

Cindy didn't answer and just lead Alex through more brush and trees. They were nearing a clearing that was often used for target practice when Alex froze. She could hear something, it sounded like someone moving through the trees.

But Cindy didn't raise her gun. Instead she kept walking and lead Alex past the clearing and into an area where the stream broke into many smaller rivers, making the ground muddy. All at once Cindy stopped walking.

"Do you know him?"

Cindy was pointing through the brush. Alex felt her stomach drop. Sitting against a tree tied up and bound with a gag in his mouth was Dominic. Her jaw dropped and she wrenched away from Cindy and raced forward.

When Dominic saw her emerge from the trees, his eyes went wide. She reached him and pulled the gag from his mouth, kissing him hard on his dry lips. He gave a wan smile as she hugged him tightly.

"I thought so," said Cindy with a small smile.

Looking up, Alex looked at Cindy and wiped her eyes. She had always appreciated her, always knew she wanted to help. Now Cindy had brought Alex back to Dominic.

Untying him, she rubbed his raw wrists.

"Did you tie him up?" Alex asked, helping him up.

"No," Cindy replied. "I found him tied up but wanted to make sure he was who I thought he was before I untied him. I recognized him because I saw you two together a lot. Always sneaking around." She grinned.

Dominic embraced Alex tightly, and she let him hold her. She was so grateful to Cindy, grateful to just about everything that she had him back. Nothing mattered anymore now that they were together.

(end flashback)

Kate was able to get Alex to stand up but she just stood there trembling as Jack walked over to the body.

"I'll need help reburying him because all the ground around here is too soft," he said, covering his face. "Let's get her back."

They walked down the path on each side of her, and Kate had to hold her arm to keep her walking. Alex stared straight ahead, her eyes wide and emotionless. Jack couldn't help but feel like there was something more behind this than just friendship.

They got Alex back to the hatch and then Jack and Sayid went out to find the body and bury it again. Kate stayed in the hatch and made Alex a cup of Dharma tea that smelled terrible but she drank it. It was quiet in the hatch and Alex hadn't said a word. Kate made her own cup and sat down across from Alex. Alex stared down into her cup of tea without speaking.

"Alex," Kate said quietly, feeling very uneasy. "Are you okay?"

Alex didn't speak, just continued to stare. She blinked a few times and then looked up at Kate and gave a weak smile.

"Yeah," Alex whispered, clearing her throat. "I...yeah..."

Kate could see the struggle behind Alex's eyes and felt for her. She knew how it was to lose someone she dearly cared about, and knew how hard it was to deal with that fact long after it happened. But Kate had absolutely no idea what to say.

"How long did you know him?" Kate asked, afraid of what else to ask.

"Two years," said Alex. She looked back down at her cup. "We were kind of..."

"Did..."

"I'm going to go," Alex suddenly stood and looked around nervously. Kate saw her hands were shaking. "I need to...be alone."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea right now," Kate said, standing also.

"I'll see you."

Alex hurried from the hatch without another word leaving Kate wondering what exactly had happened.

"Kid?"

Satine looked up at Sawyer who had poked his head into the tent. It was mid afternoon and Satine was asleep in the tent and hadn't been seen all morning.

"Hey," she said groggily, rubbing her eyes and sitting up. "What time is it?"

"Near four," Sawyer came in and sat down. "You feeling okay?"

She nodded, not wanting to get into the fact that she'd just dreamt about a corpse chasing her. But for some reason she felt like she knew who it was, like she had this incredible emotional tie to it and that it was someone she loved. But just as she was about to stop running, Sawyer had entered.

"Something is going on," Sawyer looked out at the rough ocean. "Kate said Alex is upset."

"Why?" Satine was afraid to know, terrified that her dream might have meant something.

"Apparently some bodies that were buried were dug up by the flood," Sawyer began.

Satine closed her eyes, putting her hand over her head. She knew it, she knew that dream couldn't have been random. The feelings she had in it were too real, too focused to be fake. When she looked up Sawyer looked concerned.

"I'm okay," she assured him, standing and walking from the tent. Turning around she gave him a smile. "I'll be back."

Jack and Sayid had brought along a tarp and it took them a long time to get the corpse out of the mud before they could transport it. Both of them had hankerchiefs over their faces but still had to breathe through their mouths. Once they had it wrapped they carried it swiftly away from the lower ground to a higher bit of land that hadn't been flooded out.

"You buried him?" asked Sayid as they lay him down and began digging.

"Yeah. When we were coming back from the other camp," Jack said morosely, glancing at the tarp. "He had an infection."

"What kind?" Sayid said. Jack knew he was wondering if Dominic had the same thing Cindy had.

"He was shot when they were escaping. It got infected," Jack sighed and continued digging, wanting to be done with it. "He was just a kid."

"Alex is the only survivor from them that we know of," Sayid said quietly. "And she seems to posess the same...abilities that Satine does."

"And?" Jack didn't know what Sayid was getting at.

"I don't think Satine is here by coincidence," Sayid had stopped digging and was staring at Jack. "I think she was here."

"What? No, she told us how she got here," Jack shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous."

"She may be psychic but she's also human and she could be mistaken. The Others were known to alter minds. It's very possible she was tricked into believing that whole story and then sent to us," Sayid began digging again. "It would explain a lot."

"No it wouldn't because she had an alibi. We found the body of her mother," Jack tensed, remembering burying his own father without any clue as to who it was. "How do you explain that?"

"Well I have several theories," Sayid seemed to have thought this through. "It's very possible she left here years ago and they needed her back so they planned this."

"So they planned that her mother would buy them tickets for a cruise and then die?" Jack said, slightly irritated. "It just doesn't add up. Her story makes too much sense."

"What are the chances of two very gifted girls being on one island unless they were created for it? Alex was tested and this is the result of it, we know that. Maybe Satine was tested and doesn't remember," Sayid put down his shovel.

Jack knew Sayid had a point but somehow he didn't want to believe him. It was easier to believe Satine's story than to doubt it by bringing in the factor that she's a psychic as well as Alex. Everything was so messed up, Jack didn't very much feel like doubting it.

"If Satine was here, she might have known too much and was sent away," Sayid said as Jack finished digging and laid down his shovel. "It's possible both of them can help us protect ourselves from anyone remaining on the island."

"You've forgotten the fact that both are extremely traumatized. Alex just found out she was stolen from her mother as a baby. Satine is still weak from her injuries and her own mother was killed. Even if we wanted them to help us, they couldn't. Besides, all that psychic junk isn't credible," Jack walked to the tarp and they lifted it together and carefully placed it in the hole.

"You don't believe it?" Sayid asked skeptically as they filled in the hole.

"Not necessarily. I think Satine might have some…abilities but we haven't seen enough of Alex to really believe she has it too. Satine might just be extra intuitive."

Sayid gave a short laugh and continued filling in the hole. Sometimes it infuriated Jack how much the people here believed in fate and destiny, and that their fates relied solely on the island and not on their actions. It was why there were so many criminals in the world, why so many people just gave up living. People put their faith in something not credible, and end up not helping themselves when the occasion comes around because they believe some kind of divine intervention will take place.

They finished filling in the hole and picked up their shovels, heading back to the hatch. When they arrived Sayid headed off towards the beach without a word and Jack went inside.

Kate was rinsing cups out in the sink when Jack came in. She looked up and gave him a small smile before looking back down. He came over to the counter and sat, putting his face in his hands, which were filthy.

"You should shower," Kate said quietly, her mind far off.

"Where's Alex?" Jack looked around.

"She wouldn't stay. I think she's more upset than she lets on but you can't force these things," she said, knowing exactly how it felt. Sighing she turned off the water and looked up at Jack. "Frankly, I'm a little surprised you didn't stick around."

"I needed to bury.."

"I know you think you need to do all the physical manly stuff but Alex seems to connect with you. I don't know what it is, but when she looks at you I think she might feel like you're listening. Maybe because you buried Dominic, but also because you promised her you'd save him. I think you should talk to her," Kate said insistently, looking slightly irritated.

"I'm not a shrink. We have Libby for that. Besides, I promised her he wouldn't die and I couldn't save him," Jack felt the pang of disappointment he always got when thinking of failures. "I couldn't save him, just like with Boone."

"She still trusted you," Kate said, crossing her arms. "It shows you she has faith in you."

There it was again, faith. Jack nodded and agreed to talk to her. Kate left the room to hit the button and Jack remained sitting there, staring down at his dirty hands. He had buried Dominic for the second time now. He hoped it would be the last. He wasn't sure how many more people he could bury on this island.


	52. Chapter 52: Uncovered

Satine walked into the hatch just as Jack left. Kate looked up from the counter and gave Satine a smile.

"Tea?" Kate offered, as the pot was still hot.

"No thanks. Um, is Alex here?" she asked quietly, feeling very uncomfortable.

"No, she left," Kate put the cups away and turned around. "If I see her I'll let her know you were looking for her."

"Thanks," Satine nodded as Kate went to leave. "Um, Kate?"

Kate stopped and turned back.

"It was Dominic, right?" Satine said quietly.

Trying very hard not to be freaked out, Kate nodded and left the hatch. She shivered, something Satine often did to her. She just made her feel like she knew too much and it scared her.

Jack came out onto the beach and scanned it, although he knew Alex wouldn't be out here. She was probably back at the caves or something, trying desperately to be alone when that was almost impossible here. Someone would always come across you, and you'd lose that sense of privacy. Jack knew the feeling well.

He saw Sawyer heading up the beach and jogged up to him.

"Have you seen Alex?" Jack asked as Sawyer kept walking.

"No. Have you seen the kid?" asked Sawyer. "She didn't seem herself."

"That's what you get having two psychics," Jack chuckled but Sawyer had stopped walking.

"She's one too?" he asked curiously. "How do you know?"

Jack shrugged.

"We just assumed. She's kind of got the same thing Satine had going," Jack looked confused. "Why?"

"No reason," Sawyer shook his head and headed off in the opposite direction. Jack sighed and looked up.

Standing at the entrance to the path to the caves was Alex. She saw Jack and turned heel, practically running away.

"WAIT!" Jack shouted.

He ran after her but she was fast. He tried desperately to keep up with her but she was disappearing around the corners ahead. Finally he slowed to a jog and then walked, panting heavily, scanning the jungle for her.

It was getting later and the sun was low, casting long shadows along the floor of the jungle. Jack just stood there a moment and sighed but he could hear someone breathing heavily just around the bend. He slowly headed around and Alex came into view, breathing heavily, leaning against a tree.

She looked up and went to run again but found she couldn't. She was breathing too fast and Jack knew she might hyperventilate.

"Slow deep breaths," he instructed, moving closer to her. She backed away. "You're going to suffocate."

Listening to him, she slowly took shuddering breaths and it seemed to ease her breathing. When she had caught her breath, he gave her a light smile.

"Want to start playing tag again? I'll give you a head start," he laughed.

She just looked away in the jungle. He knew she was probably reeling from seeing Dominic again. Maybe she had just been getting over it when she saw him again.

"I'm sorry about Dominic," Jack began but Alex shook her head.

"No, I don't want to talk about it," she waved her hands. "No."

"Talking helps," he said quietly.

"Leave me alone," she said, her voice cracking as she tried to walk past him. But he grabbed her arm. She tried to wrench it away but he held on and she ripped it out of his grip, stumbling back and falling onto the path.

He bent in front of her but she put her arms over her knees and hid her face in them. He knew she was probably overwhelmed but wasn't sure how to go about it.

"It's always hard losing someone so suddenly," he whispered, sitting beside her. She was shuddering but was silent and he wasn't sure if she was really crying or not. "I…my father died. I was flying his body back to L.A. when the plane crashed."

Slowly Alex looked up at him.

"That's where the coffin came from," she whispered and he gave her a confused look.

"No I destroyed the coffin," he said, sighing. "Because he fell out of it when the tail section fell off."

He shuddered just thinking about it and she seemed apologetic.

"Dominic saved me," she whispered.

Jack nodded. He wasn't going to pry it from her, he would let her talk. He supposed that was what Kate would do.

"He was the one who told me all of it wasn't right. That people didn't live like we did. When we went to Australia I saw it for myself. That was when I knew it wasn't right. And he kept informing me. He was like my teacher. The boys knew more than we did," she sighed shakily.

Jack had no idea what she meant but wasn't about to get into it.

"I…I loved him."

That had surprised Jack more than anything else. He knew she was young, but she hadn't grown up in his world so she had no idea that sixteen was considered far too young for love. But he figured if she really had loved him, it had to be real because she knew no other kind of love. She knew no greed or lust, just pure love.

"And you buried him," she looked gently at him and a tear fell from hr eye. "You buried Dominic."

"I'm sorry," he said, wishing he could say more. "I really am."

She shook her head looking down and finally broke. She hadn't cried for him really yet, and now it all came out. Weeks of knowing he was gone, of believing she was moving on just collapsed in on her. The tears fell hard and she began to sob. Jack put a gentle arm around her and she leaned in.

"I wish there was more I could do," he said gently as she cried into him, shaking terribly.

"My mother," she leaned back, gasping. "I want you to bring me to her."

"I don't know if that's exactly the best idea," he said hesitantly as she continued to cry, wiping her eyes frantically. "You're upset and…"

"I've lost the most important person in my life. But I lost someone who should have been most important a long time ago. I think it's only right that I meet her properly," she said very maturely.

"You have to understand she's been alone on this island for sixteen years. That's a very long time, and it's altered her mind a lot. She's a little crazy," he said carefully.

"She's still my mother," she whispered.

Jack stood and held out a hand. Alex rose and straightened herself out, taking a deep breath.

"Anyone home?" called Kate into Sawyer's tent.

"SHHH!" Sawyer hissed, coming up behind her. Looking inside she saw Satine was asleep again. The girl seemed to sleep all day nowadays.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I was just wondering if you've seen Jack. I wanted to make sure he went to talk to Alex and didn't skip on it."

"No, I think he did," Sawyer said, moving away from the tent. "Can I ask you something?"

It was very rare that Sawyer asked Kate for anything and she raised her eyebrows in obvious surprise.

"Don't look so shocked," he snapped. "Do you think the kid and that new girl Alex have…something in common?"

"Jack mentioned something about that but I don't see how it's possible. She came here from that cruise ship, the evidence is all there. Unless it was some really elaborate lie," Kate said, crossing her arms. The sun was almost set and she could barely see Sawyer's face on the darkening beach. "Why?"

"That other girl, she knows a lot just like the kid. But I don't think she knows as much. I feel like it's a battle of the minds," he shook his head laughing. "I'm going nuts."

"Any other time, and I'd agree," she sneered and he shot her a look. "But I see that too. I haven't seen them speak a word to each other though."

"We should try it and see what happens. If they're both from here won't they butt heads," he suggested.

"Like magnets?" she laughed. "I don't know but two psychics together usually doesn't mean anything good."

Sayid came hurrying up the beach towards Kate and Sawyer. He stopped before them out of breath.

"We have a problem."

The three of them stared down into the armory where at least five inches of water sat. The armory was lower than the rest of the hatch with the raised doorway and it was holding water as it came dripping in from the ceiling through the vent. Sawyer knew the airvent was being flooded in.

"What can we do?" asked Kate. "If we don't stop this it could flood the whole place and mess with the wires."

"I don't know where that vent leads to," Sayid said, crossing his arms. "And John sealed it from the inside so no one could escape through it."

"There's a pipe about twenty five meters from the path to the left of the hatch," said Sawyer. "It's coming in through there."

"You knew of another entrance and never told us?" demanded Sayid angrily. Kate backed away, knowing things between them were hostile.

"Yeah, sorry I didn't write it on the bulletin board, Jabar," snapped Sawyer, turning around and heading for the exit. "I'm out of here."

"We need you to show us this vent!" Kate shouted after Sawyer. "It could be important."

"Yes in case the mouse people decide to invade," Sawyer said from the doorway, his hand on the doorframe as he looked back at her. "It's too small for even a hand to fit into."

"But it could mean there are other ways to get in. Plus it's an easy way to sabotage, possibly drop fire or bombs," Sayid said.

"Yeah you'd know all about that," Sawyer started.

Sayid began towards him but Kate jumped forward putting a hand on his chest and looking at him firmly.

"Let's go find this pipe and seal it up. There wont be an air vent for the armory anymore, though," Kate said worriedly.

"We can connect it to the main air circulation system. It's only not connected because it's slightly below the rest of the structure. Almost like it was the last thing built on this hatch," said Sayid, eyeing the structure.

"Alright, Bob-The-Builder, and what do you propose we do, find all the extra vents and seal them in case another Arab on this island decides he's jealous of you?" Sawyer said, crossing his arms.

"You're pushing it," Kate warned him, pointing her finger at him. "Watch it, Sawyer."

Sawyer raised his hands as though to say he wasn't doing anything wrong. Sayid was giving him the death glare as the three of them left the hatch to find the vent.

"She did try to get you back, you just have to understand she's one woman and they're…"

"Like a city," said Alex as she followed Jack down the path. "I guess I was just mad because I know she came with other people."

"How?" Jack asked curiously but Alex looked nervous.

"Um, someone told me," Alex shrugged. "How do you know where she is?"

"She probably didn't go far from camp because you're here," Jack said, scanning the area. "We'll find her soon enough."

They walked in silence and Jack was glad that Alex was putting her grief into something productive. She seemed to have gotten the crying out, and wanted to move on to the next crucial element of becoming her own person outside the compound. Jack only wondered what would happen to her once they got back to civilization, if they ever did.

They came to a clearing and Jack knew Rousseau was nearby. He'd heard someone following them and supposed she was waiting for him to give her a sign that it was okay to come out.

"Why did you stop?" Alex asked curiously.

Out of the bushes ahead came Rousseau, her rifle strapped to her back as usual. She looked unusually weary as she strode towards them hesitantly, her eyes never leaving Alex. Jack felt Alex retract beside him.

"Hey," Jack said, walking towards the thin woman.

"Hello Alex," Rousseau said practically ignoring Jack.

"Hi," Alex said a bit fearfully.

"I think Alex wanted to talk to you for a while," Jack suggested carefully, looking at Alex who looked terrified. But he knew she wanted this.

"Will you wait for me?" Alex asked Jack who had begun to walk away.

"Sure," he said, looking around. "I'll gather some fruit over here and I'll wait for you to come back."

She gave him a grateful smile before looking up at her mother and walking to her side. Rousseau didn't show much expression but it was very obvious in her eyes that this was probably the moment she'd waited for sixteen years, to finally have her daughter back with her again. Jack watched them walk away and sat down.

Sawyer waded through the knee deep water to the vent and pointed angrily at it as Sayid and Kate came up behind him.

"Happy?" he said, pointing to the pipe that was now under the surface of the water. "Can I leave now or are we crocodile hunting?"

"This is no pipe," Sayid said worriedly, bending down and peering at it just below the surface of the water. "It was a structure."

"What?" Sawyer said confusedly. "No, it's a vent. I could hear the kid through it."

"They might have hit the ventilation shaft when creating it, but if you look, the pipe extends out to the right. There is no hatch to the right," Sayid pointed at pipe running along the ground that had been uncovered but was flooded. "And look."

Sayid hurried through the water to a place a few yards away.

"Another one, but it has broken beams attached," Sayid was breathless with anxiousness as he slowly walked back over to Kate and Sayid. "I think something was built above the ground here protecting something underneath that we can't get to. Like there are walls underneath here but there's no way there can be open space below this, it's too marshy."

"But what was it?" Kate asked curiously, looking slightly nervous.

Sayid looked around and then turned back to them.

"I think it's a tomb."


	53. Chapter 53: Rescued

Jack had waited almost three hours before Alex came walking out of the trees ahead of him, holding a torch above her head.

"How did it go?" asked Jack wearily, as he had been hanging around one place the entire time. He was eager to get back.

"I'm going to stay a while," she said quietly, looking up at him. "She has some things to show me."

"Are you sure you want to?" Jack asked in a low voice. He wondered if she was afraid to say no.

"Yeah," Alex seemed confident. "I'm sure."

Jack nodded but couldn't understand why he felt suddenly very protective of Alex. He knew she was her mother, but it still felt wrong sending her away. He gave her one last pat on the shoulder and then she turned and disappeared into the jungle with her torch.

As he slowly headed back to the beach he hoped that somehow maybe Alex and her mother could reconnect. Nothing could make up for 16 years lost but maybe they could have a relationship.

He had only gotten halfway to the beach when he spotted Sayid, Kate, and Sawyer tramping out of a particularly marshy area and towards the path. Sawyer and Sayid were going at it, yelling between each other and shouting angrily. Kate just walked ahead of them shaking her head. When she reached the path and saw Jack she gave a small smile that he returned.

"What are you guys doing?" Jack asked as they reached the path and stopped bickering.

"The armory is flooded," Sayid said angrily, glaring at Sawyer. "We found the leak but something else."

"Jamar here thinks there's a tomb under the ground!" Sawyer said nastily. "Because we all know the others are Egyptians!"

"We don't know how long anyone has been here!" Sayid snapped back.

"What?" Jack turned to Kate.

"Sayid found…"

Suddenly there was a sound like an air horn that punctuated the night air and seemed to reverberate between the trees. They all fell silent, staring down the path and towards the water.

"Was that…" Kate said softly.

"A boat?" Jack breathed.

Satine walked slowly from her tent, unsure of what had awoken her. She had been jerked awake by some kind of horn. Now she came onto the beach and looked around to see other people coming slowly from their tents, staring in awe out to sea.

Slowly approaching the shore was a small tugboat that looked beaten beyond recognition. It's sides were chipping and it was many colors from the many layers of paint that had eroded off. Half of the mast was broken off and the deck and compartment looked almost destroyed. But shining from the top of the compartment was a large search light sweeping the beach and as they watched it approach, breaking the waves, the horn sounded again.

Jack, Sayid, Kate, and Sawyer came out onto the beach and stopped in their tracks. Kate gripped Jack's arm tightly.

"We're rescued," said Sawyer quietly.

"No," Kate sounded terrified. "It's them."

"They don't have a boat like that," Sawyer replied, his eyes wide.

"No one has found us in months…there's no way…"

"Believe it," Jack said, turning to Kate and smiling. She was shocked to find him actually happy. "Kate, we're rescued."

People on the beach had begun to move down towards the water as the boat slowly came to the shore. It got into the shallows and stopped, hitting the sand. There was the sound of an anchor being dropped off the side and then someone spoke.

"Hello there!" shouted a voice on the deck. No one could see because of the blinding searchlight. Almost every survivor stood on the beach, straddled down the shore, staring in awe.

"Hello!" Jack called, hurrying forward. Satine felt suddenly terrified and hurried up the beach towards Sawyer. "Where are you coming from?"

"We left port from Sydney five days ago!" the voice shouted, the person it belonged to still shrouded in darkness behind the search lamp which was now fixed on Jack, illuminating him. "We were heading back from some deep sea fishing!"

"What happened to your boat?" asked Jack, shielding his eyes from the light.

"Rough seas!" shouted the voice quickly. "How many are there of you?"

"About forty!" Jack shouted back. "We crashed here. Flight 815 from Sydney to Los Angeles. We've been here around sixty days!"

"Wow! And you all survived the crash?" the voice sounded surprised. "Well, we can't fit everyone but we can take a few of you. If you have any injured or kids, we can get them back first then send a rescue team."

Sawyer suddenly gripped Satine's hand very tightly. She looked up at him and she knew he felt it too. Something wasn't right.

Jack had turned around and looked around. He spotted Claire and hurried to her.

"We can get you two back first," he said quietly to her.

"No," she stepped back, holding Aaron tightly. "Jack, something isn't…"

"If ya'll need any help, we're sending a few of our men ashore! We should try to leave by dawn if we want to make it back by midday!" shouted the voice and there was the splash of a boat hitting the water. It was too dark to see, as there was no moon to reflect off the ocean.

"We'll find Michael and Walt," Jack said, turning around. He spotted Satine. "You should go too."

Jack hurried to the boat to help the men out. Sawyer and Kate exchanged a glance. Kate couldn't understand why Jack trusted them so easily. It was hard to believe that if they hadn't been rescued within the first month, that anyone would find them. Kate felt terrified and wished Jack would come back.

"They're going to help us move some of our stuff to the beach for when the rescue boats come back," Jack said confidently, walking up the beach with two rough looking guys on his heels. Kate watched them walk by as Jack went to lead them to the hatch. They had long beards and scruffy hair and their clothes were filthy and covered in dried fish blood. They reeked of fish and Kate felt dread run up and down her spine as they passed.

"I don't like them," Kate whispered as the other survivors began to get excited. They were running back to their tents now, getting their things together. Kate, Sawyer, and Satine stood there watching as everyone grew into an uproar of cheers and happiness.

"Sawyer," Satine said quietly. He looked down at her. "We need to find Alex."

Alex came stumbling from the brush and onto the path. Trying to compose herself she hurried down the dark path. She had heard the horns and had seen glimpses of the boat in her minds eye. But what she had felt was fear, horrible terror that seemed to fill her from within. She knew what she was feeling was Satine, and that they were connected as much as everyone denied it. Alex had no doubt that Satine was originally at the compound but had somehow either escaped or was taken back to the mainland where she was raised normally.

Holding slight resentment that Satine had been somehow chosen to live a normal life, Alex came out onto the beach. When she saw the boat and the spotlight on Jack she knew what was happening.

Sawyer and Satine headed to their tent and for a moment both stood outside it.

"Kind of hard to believe we're leaving," Sawyer said quietly, moving inside. "I guess I was getting used to it."

"You believe them?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Darlin, at this point we've been here so long we'd take the chance," Sawyer sighed. "I think the only reason we're jittery is because of what happened on the raft."

"You don't recognize any of them?"

Sawyer looked at her.

"No because they're not from this island," he said firmly. "We're rescued."

He wanted to believe it but as he said it, he was sure it was wrong. How could a boat that crappy possibly have made it all the way from Sydney within a day? It didn't make any sense unless they were closer to Australia than they realized. But Sawyer wanted so desperately for it to be true not even for his sake, but for Satine's. She was so weak nowadays, she was so frail and he knew if she went back she'd get better.

"Why do you think he said he could take children?" she asked him as he zipped up a few of his bags. "Don't you think that's weird?"

"Well naturally they'd want to take the sick and the kids," he shrugged. "I think we're all a bit paranoid because of what happened to Walt."

"I don't like it," she looked at him hard and she kept her gaze. "I just have a bad feeling."

"JACK!" Alex came into the hatch, her heart pounding. "Jack?"

"I'm here," he came out of the storage room with two strange men with him. Alex gasped. "Did you hear?"

"Yeah, I…" she looked at them. "Can I talk to you?"

Jack looked uneasily from Alex to the two men and then followed her out of the room and into the bathroom where she shut the door.

"Jack, they're not good," she said strongly, seizing the front of his shirt desperately. "You have to listen to me. They're bad!"

"Everyone is so convinced that we're not rescued," he sounded angry and pushed her hands off of him. "I want to go home! I want to see my fam…"

He paused. He knew he had no family to go back to other than his mother. For a split moment he'd thought of Sarah but her face was replaced by Kate's, which he couldn't understand.

"Please!" she was begging. "They're taking the injured and the children! You can't let them!"

"Alex!" he now sounded harsh and reprimanding as though she were his daughter. "Enough! I know it must be weird for you since you've lived here for a long time but you're going to go back and go to school and make friends and see the real world. Where is your mother?"

"She's…not around," Alex said quickly. "Jack, if you don't believe me they'll die!"

"Who?" he snapped, turning to the door.

"Kate and Aaron!"

He paused and turned around to face her.

"Why would Kate and Aaron die?" he demanded, his face red.

"Because…"

"Hello?" said a voice. "Anyone there?"

The two men were directly outside the door. Alex stared with horror at Jack who for a moment saw the terror in her eyes and wanted to believe her but he couldn't. He needed to get home, to get back to where he was useful. He needed to get away from this place that only reminded him of his failures.

"Hey," Jack opened the door and came out.

"We were wondering if you had any bodies that would need to be transported?" asked the taller one who had a darker beard.

"Um, well I figured the rescue people would do that," Jack sounded uneasy and glanced back at Alex. "I think it might not be good to disturb those graves until we have professionals here."

"Right," said the shorter one, nudging the other. "Well, if we can get together those of us who are going, we can leave."

"Right," Jack turned and looked at Alex. "I'll see you on the rescue boat."

But the smile he gave her was not genuine.

Sawyer walked with Satine down to the shore where everyone was gathered. There wasn't any fighting about who was going. It seemed to have been decided that Michael and Walt, Claire and Aaron, Alex, and Jack and Kate would go. Sayid was loading water into the small raft that would take them to the boat.

"I'm not going!" Claire said angrily as Sayid tried to help her into the raft. "Forget it!"

"Claire, don't you want Aaron to be home as soon as possible?" asked John, who was hovering over the group.

"No! I don't trust them," she said loudly and Satine saw someone on board turn towards her.

"I promise, ma'am," said a voice behind her causing her to jump. She whirled around and faced one of the bearded men who was grinning with yellow teeth at her. "We have the safest facilities. It may not look like much but it's seaworthy and you'll be on land in a day!"

"No," she said more meekly, backing away from the shore. "Forget it."

She turned and seemed to dash up the beach cradling Aaron to her chest. Jack came down the beach with the other man carrying several bags of supplies.

"Jack," Sayid approached him. "Claire wont go."

"What? She has to…" he began.

"Yeah, you try," Hurley said skeptically.

"I think Sayid should go," said John, stepping out into the group. Jack gave him a glare and people seemed to shrink away from him. No one had forgotten what he'd done and caused. "If someone is injured here, Jack would be needed."

"How long would it take to get to land and get a rescue boat here?" Jack asked the bearded man beside him. "Considering we track the coordinates correctly."

"A few hours at most," said the man confidently, putting his grimy hands on Jack's shoulder.

"It's settled then," Jack handed Sayid the large bag. "I'll stay."

Kate was glaring at Jack with wide eyes. He saw her beside Hurley and knew she was upset. She wanted him to go, she was terrified of these men.

As they began loading the raft Kate sidled over to Jack and seized his arm, pulling him away down the dark beach. There was a faint pink line on the horizon meaning dawn was approaching.

"Please," she pleaded. "I don't want to go alone."

Jack saw her begging eyes and squeezed her shoulders tightly.

"You have Michael and Sayid, and Walt for company," he said lightly, giving her a small smile. "Are you afraid of the police?"

"No," she shook her head. "I don't even care about that. I'm going to jail no matter what, I just…I don't like these people."

Satine was watching Kate beg with Jack from her place beside Sawyer. She could see Kate's desperation and jumped ten feet when a cold hand touched her arm.

"Hey little lady," said a voice. "You comin' for the ride?"

Satine shook her head, shrinking beside Sawyer who held a tighter grip on her. Just then out of the jungle came Alex, hurrying down the beach. She reached the shore, breathless.

"Sorry," she panted, noticing everyone looking at her. "I got held up."

Alex glanced at Satine who was looking curiously at her. Then Alex made eye contact with Jack who was still talking to Kate. When their eyes met he seemed to freeze.

"Alright!" said one of the bearded men. "We'll make two trips."

Kate had stopped pleading and was now hugging Jack goodbye but it was a hug Jack would never forget. He held her for a moment and almost wished he was going back with her, that she wasn't going to jail. But instead she let go and gave him a small peck on the cheek and headed towards the raft.

Sayid, Kate, and Michael got in the boat first. Alex and Walt would come in the second raft. Everyone was shocked at how easily Michael had given in to getting on the boat. But all he had said was that he needed to get Walt home so a real doctor could see him, causing Jack to retract.

Alex moved towards Jack who watched as Kate looked back at him as the raft moved towards the boat. He felt her hand land on his arm and he looked down at her. She motioned with her head and he moved a little up the beach.

"Do not look over there as I tell you this," said Alex, aware that one of the bearded men was watching. "They are the Others. They're from the other side of the island and they came here to get me, Satine, Walt, and Aaron. They're in disguises, that boat was shipwrecked here years ago and they repaired it. You don't believe me…"

"No, I don't," he laughed, stepping back. "I don't know why you like to do this…"

"Jack," she seized his arm and her strength caused him to stare at her in shock. "If they do not get me, they will kill us all."

"What?" he had lost his breath for a moment.

"They want me back. They're afraid of what I've told you," she whispered. "Not everyone was killed in that explosion. They're rebuilding, reforming. And they want me so I don't leak anything."

"Stop!" he demanded, his voice rising slightly.

"When they get far enough off shore they will throw a bomb. It's in the cabin underneath the light. When I get on board, I'm going to grab it and use it to blow up the ship. But I need you to do something," she was speaking slowly and carefully as Jack stared at her. "When I wave my arms, I need you to shout."

"Shout what?" he wasn't even bothering arguing with her anymore.

"I need you to tell Kate and the others to jump because I wont be able to," she said, her voice shaking horribly. "I'm going to detonate the bomb myself."


	54. Chapter 54: The Sacrifice

Satine stood gripping Sawyer's arm tightly. She knew what Alex was going to do, she knew how it would end. But what she didn't know was that Jack knew and Jack wasn't ready to let it end this way.

They took longer loading the second raft because of a small leak in the bottom. Everyone who had gathered on the beach was sitting around comfortably, waiting for the launch.

Sitting down, Satine heard Hurley and Charlie talking.

"What's the first thing you're going to do?" Charlie asked happily, watching as the pink along the horizon became orange and the sky lightened to a deep purple.

"I'm going to buy six cheeseburgers," Hurley said, sighing deeply.

"Um, hopefully veggie burgers?" said Libby beside him.

"Okay not even my food nazi can stop me from getting six cheeseburgers when I leave this place. Then I'll start my diet again," he said sweetly to her and she smiled at him.

"Get a room," said Sawyer, sitting down beside Charlie. "How about you, Ozzy? Going to get back in the drug ring again?"

Charlie gave Sawyer a nasty look.

"I'm going to see my brother and my niece. She's probably so big now," he looked sad and Satine put a hand on his arm and he smiled gratefully at her. "And I also want six cheeseburgers."

"Hopefully wherever we land there's a food chain because all forty of us will probably be running there," laughed Libby. "And I can't wait to take a bubble bath."

"How about you?" Charlie looked at Satine. "What are you going to do?"

Satine thought hard. If they were being rescued and they got back, where would she go? Her mother was dead and buried on this island and she had no idea where her father was. She supposed she'd call one of her closest friends, but other than that she didn't know.

"I want a haircut," she said, thinking hard. "And a soda."

"Soda," sighed Hurley.

"Well while you kids are eating cheeseburgers in the bathtub, I'll be at my lawyers," said Sawyer, grinning. "Because I plan to sue Oceanic for every penny they've got."

"I think we all do," laughed Charlie.

"We weren't hurt though," said Hurley curiously.

"Does it matter? We lost two months of our lives here on this damn island. We don't even know what's going on back home," Sawyer shook his head and sighed.

"What if it's really changed?" Satine said quietly.

"What if our families already had funerals and stuff for us? How do we just go back to work and say oh sorry, I was on an island," Libby asked, her eyes looking deep in thought.

"I don't plan to ever work again," Sawyer seemed content in the fact that he was suing.

"How do you know Oceanic isn't bankrupt?" replied Satine with a sneer. "Usually after a bad crash like this, airlines just go belly up."

"Then I'll sue Australia," snapped Sawyer but playfully. "I am getting my moneys worth out of this long ass vacation."

"I don't know about you," said Ana-Lucia as she sat down on the other side of Satine. "But I'm going shopping."

For a moment they all were quiet as she sat there waiting for a response. It wasn't often she was included on conversations but somehow this recent event changed that.

"I can't wait to jump in a cold pool," laughed Libby. "The ocean here is always so darn warm."

"I want to see snow!" Hurley said.

"I want to see my family," Ana said quietly.

"I think we all do," Satine said gently. "I wonder who came to my funeral."

"Isn't it weird how forty of us died, and now we're all coming back?" Libby said, watching as they worked on the raft. "There's going to be a lot of tax returns to fill out."

"I wonder if we'll all fly home the day we get back," Ana said.

"I am not getting on another plane," said Hurley sternly. "I'll walk home if I have to."

"True. I think the only person who wont have to fly is Claire. She's from Australia," Satine inquired.

"I'll be flying to New York," Ana said, looking at the rest of them.

"Hey!" called a voice behind them. All of them turned around and waited for John to sit down. "What are you all chatting about?"

"Nothing," muttered everyone, getting up.

"I need to um…get…yeah," Hurley stammered, hurrying off with Libby beside him.

"Looks like they need help," said Ana, hurrying down the beach.

"Um…I need to pack," said Charlie, hurrying off.

John said alone beside Satine as Sawyer stood and gave Satine a nod before walking down the beach. Satine looked at John and gave a small smile.

"I guess I wasn't invited," he said sadly, looking out to sea.

They sat there in silence for a moment and Satine suddenly felt like she had nothing against John, as though the guilt was now pushed off to Alex.

"Do you believe we're rescued?" she asked him quietly.

"No," John said, sighing deeply. "I believe this is the worst thing to happen to us."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because someone will die," he looked down at her with sad eyes. "And there is nothing worse."

Jack felt himself shaking as he watched them finally put the raft in the water and cheer as it floated. It had been punctuated by some rocks and now was finally mended. The two bearded men and Sayid, having gotten off the ship to help repair the raft, came out of the water triumphantly and waited for their last passengers and cargo.

Jin helped carry down the carton of fruit. They were being sent with extra food in case the journey took longer than expected. Sayid placed the food in the raft and then turned around scanning the beach for Alex.

She arrived beside him and he jumped in surprise. Jack moved down the shore to her side and looked at her with firm eyes as though pleading with her to tell him she was joking. As the sky grew lighter he could see the ship better and what horrible condition it was in. Aboard he could see Kate and Michael on board. Kate was standing on the deck looking at Jack but it was still dark and he couldn't see her expression.

"Safe trip," Jack said, giving Alex a hug. She hugged him tightly and he tried to keep the sadness off his face. He couldn't argue with her, couldn't plead with her to change her mind. He was the only person who knew about it.

Alex let Sayid help her into the raft where she sat quietly, very still. Jack noticed one of the bearded men sat close beside her as though watching her. Walt was next into the boat, climbing awkwardly in and sitting down carefully. Finally the two bearded men and Sayid got in.

"We'll bring a rescue boat as soon as we can!" said the bearded man as they began paddling away towards the tugboat. "See you soon!"

All the survivors waved and Jack felt a mounting terror. What if she didn't do as she said and they threw the bomb onto the beach? Many would die, possibly more than even in the explosion. He didn't want to imagine Kate being on board and being terrified as they arrived on the other side of the island, realizing it was all a hoax. He wished she was back with him, standing beside him. Jack couldn't imagine not seeing her face again.

Satine stood stiffly beside Sawyer who watched the raft go with anticipation. He felt jittery but also excited that this was it, they were finally going home. He looked down at Satine and wished she looked more optimistic.

Breaking away from Sawyer Satine moved down towards Jack. She came up beside him just as the raft reached the tugboat. Jack looked down at Satine and immediately knew that he wasn't the only one who knew.

Alex allowed them to help her aboard and then she moved to Kate and Michael. Walt went to his father who sat him down on the seats on the deck. Sayid was up front trying to help them bring up the anchor. Kate stood on the deck staring back at the shore, back at the tiny specks dotting the beach in the very dim light of the early morning. She could see Jack, she knew it was him and could feel him watching her. She wished he knew how terrified she really was.

The boat looked worse up close. The boards on the deck were loose and some were completely gone leaving gaping holes into the cabin below. They had stored the food in the main compartment where the navigation was. The man who had been controlling the light looked exactly like the other two, beards and all.

Alex disappeared from view below deck and reappeared moments later, her disappearance unnoticed by the men on the boat. Kate saw Alex walking towards her and from the look on her face immediately knew something was wrong. She looked very solemn as she moved to stand beside Kate who felt her trembling.

"When I say go, jump off," Alex said barely moving her lips. She said it loud enough so Michael and Walt could hear. Michael stared with wide eyes at Alex. "I had the explosive they were planning to use on the beach in my pocket. When I say go you have to jump off."

Kate didn't respond but only looked down at Michael and Walt. Michael held Walt so tightly to him Kate was surprised Walt didn't cry out. But Walt was being solemn and silent, the way he'd been ever since he returned.

"Sayid," Kate breathed.

"He'll be okay," Satine whispered.

"So!" said one of the men, coming back towards them. "Everything okay?"

"Yep," Kate gave him a false smile and he nodded. "Alrighty then. Food is inside. We'll be getting going in a second we're having a bit of engine trouble."

Alex knew her only chance of making sure Sayid knew was to shout to him. She was hoping Jack's shouts would be loud enough. She had told him to shout in case of this, in case one of them was trapped.

The sun was up more now and the people on the beach were in clear view. Jack could see the boat very clearly and he saw Kate's terrified face and knew Alex had probably told her. But Sayid hadn't moved from his place helping them bring up the anchor, and Jack knew he'd die if he didn't jump. Sawyer and Michael had told him the power of that homemade explosive they'd used on the raft and knew this one would be no different.

Jack stared with all his might at Alex, waiting for a signal, any kind of movement.

Alex and Kate stared in horror as one of the men disappeared below deck. Alex knew he was heading to get the explosive, that they would be throwing it at the beach with all their might. She was shocked to find him come up with not only one, but four different explosives.

She had found this one lying on the floor but it must have been knocked loose. Her breath escaped her and she felt Kate being to shake.

They seemed to ignore them as they moved towards the front of the boat. Sayid was distracted, bending over the side adjusting the line. One of them approached him from behind and Kate saw something silver flash.

"SAYID!" Kate screamed.

Sayid turned in time to catch the man as he whipped the short blade from his pocket.

"Jump!" Alex shouted.

Jack had seen Alex shout, had heard it echo across the water. Gathering all the strength he had, Jack bellowed.

"SAYID! JUMP OFF!" he screamed.

Sayid heard but was too busy keeping the short blade from cutting him as the bearded man fought him, trying desperately to stab him. The two other men were fumbling with the bombs as Kate, Michael, and Walt hesitated.

"JUMP! KATE, JUMP!" Jack shouted. Everyone on the beach was staring in horror.

Michael seized Walt and threw himself and his son over the side. They splashed into the water and surfaced. Sawyer and Jin flew into the water, diving into the dark waves towards them.

But Kate had paused, her eyes wide as Sayid lost the struggle and the blade pierced his side.

"Sayid!" she screamed, racing forward.

"Kate!" Alex shouted, pulling the explosive from her pocket.

A man intercepted Kate from reaching Sayid who was doubled over, the knife still in his back as he stumbled to the side and fell overboard, splashing into the pitch dark water.

"KATE!" Jack felt his heart jump into his throat as he saw her struggling with one of them men who would not let go of her. Two of them had seen what Alex was holding and had frozen but the man who had wielded the light was struggling with Kate who was trying to get away.

Sawyer was helping Michael up the shore as Jin was still swimming ashore with Sayid who was still conscious. Jack felt his blood pounding, his heart racing as his mind flew. Not Kate, please let her get off. She can't die, she can't leave me, he pleaded. It can't happen this way, he can't lose her.

Ripping the gun from his belt he pointed it at the ship. The shot wasn't definite, he could hit her and kill her. But he had gotten his hands around her throat.

"NO!" Jack aimed and shot.

As the shot went off, Alex pulled the spark plug on the explosive and threw it as hard as she could towards them.

The boat exploded with a force that knocked anyone on the shore backwards, each of the five explosives causing an enormous bang that shot waves of flames up into the air one at a time. A fireball bigger than the boat itself rose from the structure into the night sky, twisting gracefully until it evaporated and enormous chunks of flaming boat came falling down, splashing into the water and crashing onto the sand.

Jack climbed to his feet, his eyes wide as the fire reflected in them, what was left of the bottom of the boat beginning to sink and sizzle. Chunks of floating debris were everywhere, flames still licking the night sky as the smell of burnt wood and gasoline permeating the air. Everyone else was getting up too, staring in shock as the last bit of the bottom of the boat sank beneath the waves.

"KATE!" Jack shouted, scanning the water.

But all was still.


	55. Chapter 55: Gone

Rousseau has reached the shore just as the explosion went off. Her hands were still bound as she flew down the beach, falling and landing in the sand.

"ALEX!" she screamed horribly, her face desperate. "NO!"

Jack turned and saw Rousseau lying on the sand, her hands bound and her struggling to get up again. He faced the water again, realizing Alex had tied up her mother to keep her from stopping her.

Sawyer had gotten Michael and Walt to shore when he felt the explosion that knocked them all forward. He only realized he hadn't seen Kate or Alex jump off when he turned around to see the flaming wreckage beginning to sink.

"Sawyer!" Satine came flying down the beach. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he stood again, looking down at Michael who was shielding Walt. "Did Kate jump?"

Satine didn't answer and Sawyer looked up at Jack who was staring with unbelievable shock at the sinking remains. Flaming pieces of wood were still smashing into the sand, and people were jumping out of the way. Splashes were prominent above the sound of people screaming.

"Someone's out there!" screamed Libby, pointing.

Jack turned and saw someone thrashing in the water. He was off with light speed, diving into the waves and swimming at top speed towards them. He couldn't see who it was but in his heart it was Kate, and he had to save her.

As he reached the splashing Jack could see who it was and saw it was one of the bearded men. Without thinking Jack seized the man and began dragging him towards shore, not making sure the man was above water. When he reached there, John and Sawyer rushed forward to help but stopped when they saw who it was.

Panting, Jack stood and looked down. The man's left arm was completely gone, a piece of his shoulder bone shimmering in the morning sun. Looking at the man's face he saw the man was dying, his face pale and terrified.

"WHERE IS KATE?" Jack shouted, seizing the man's collar. He was beginning to seize, and go into shock but Jack didn't care. "Where is she?"

The man didn't answer and Jack swung a punch at his face. John grabbed his arm but Jack shoved him away and continued to punch the man. But he had stopped moving.

Letting go he let the man fall back onto the sand, eyes staring up at the bright blue sky. Turning around Jack could see no more remains of the boat except for floating charred pieces. No one was out there splashing, no one was alive.

"Alex," Rousseau was crying softly into her hands which were still tied up. Jack turned and suddenly felt extremely sorry. "No…not Alex."

Slowly Sawyer went over and untied her. She only remained kneeling, continuing to cry into her hands. Jack walked slowly over to her.

"She tied me up to save me," Rousseau choked, her eyes looking up at the ocean. "She…she told me she didn't want me to die."

Without saying anything Jack helped her to her feet where she wavered for a moment. He looked at her and then turned and went back to the shore.

"What are you doing?" Satine asked Jack as he removed his shoes.

"Looking for her."

(flashback)

Satine sat on the doctor's table unsure of what was really going on. She wanted her mother, as she was only six and was terrified. She had these kinds of appointments all the time, and they always told her she could see her mommy when she was done. But Satine hadn't seen her mommy in over a year and had almost forgotten what she looked like.

A young man with a sharp profile and beady eyes came in with a labcoat on and looked at her as she sat on the cold metal table feeling very small and insignificant. She'd been stuck here, made to stay in a very small cramped room with plenty of toys but she was left alone almost all day. Occasionally someone would come in and ask her a question or two but mostly she was alone. She hated that.

"So," the doctor was looking at a clipboard. "This is your last day."

"It is?" asked Satine curiously. She couldn't understand why it was suddenly over. "How come?"

"You're getting to be a big girl and you're improving better than we expected," he said, not looking at her. His voice was cold. "You're stronger than the other girls here and we can't have that."

"I'm sorry," she said sadly.

"Well, unfortunately its us who are sorry. We'd love to keep you and test you more but you pose a threat," he looked up at her and smiled. "But you don't know what I'm talking about, do you?"

She shook her head and he laughed. Turning around she saw a strange symbol on the back of his labcoat, the same symbol on almost everything here. The word started with a D but she was never good with words and hadn't been taught to read very well yet. But those numbers, she'd never forget those numbers. They were on her bracelet. She looked down at the metal band around her small wrist. She ran a light finger over the engraved numbers. Yes, she'd never forget them.

"Well, this is your last dose," he said, turning around with a large needle. Two sets of hands grabbed her from behind and she stiffened.

"Please," she began to whimper.

"Just relax."

He injected her and it stung. She cried out and when he was done and they let go, laid down sideways and sobbed into her hands. Without any kind of sympathy the doctor picked her up and carried her from the room and into the next room.

She hated this room. The little electrodes they attached to her head were painful. She began to struggle, as she did every time, and they held her down. As the tests began and Satine screamed and screamed, a little face appeared at the slightly open door.

"Who is that?" snapped one of the staff holding Satine. She was looking at the doorway.

"One of the children," said a male, letting go of Satine's arm and moving to the doorway. "Oh. It's the French one.'

The little girl couldn't have been any older than four. She backed away in fear as the man picked her up and turned her back to Satine.

"Too bad. You two have a lot in common, Alex," said the man, smiling at the little girl in his arms. "I'll be back in a moment once I put her back in her room."

Nodding the doctor stepped away from the machine that the things on Satine's head were attached to. Satine couldn't see well through the tears in her eyes but could hear them.

"She's one of the most powerful?" asked a female.

"She's too powerful. We see her thoughts because she projects them into us. If we kept her and it developed, it'd be dangerous. We'll send her back to her mother," the doctor peered out the door impatiently.

"Her mother will take her back?" asked the woman.

"Her mother has no choice. She agreed to let us test her, the pay was good. But there was always a chance it would fail. She wont be happy because it means no more paychecks but at least we're rid of her. She gives me migraines," the doctor put a hand to his temple. "Everytime we do this I get a headache."

"Me too," sighed the woman. "Hear that, Satine? You're going home."

Satine didn't understand much of anything they said, but all she really heard was that she was going back to her mother. And that was what she wanted.

(end flashback)

"He's been out there almost three hours," said Satine gently to Sawyer who was standing on the shore. "He won't give up."

"I wouldn't either," said Sawyer.

Jack had gone out and swam and walked around the area, swimming out farther and looking underwater for any signs of Kate. Satine had been able to feel Kate right after the explosion, as though she had survived the initial impact. But then she had faded and Satine only had a very weak thought of her until it disappeared.

Now as everyone was still shaken up, Jack continued to search. Everyone was helping those who had been slightly burned or hurt by the explosion but it hadn't been bad. The only person who was seriously injured was Sayid, whom had still not been seen by Jack. He lay in the shade higher up on the beach with Libby and Sun keeping pressure on the knife wound in his side.

"I think I need to talk to him," Sawyer said, looking down at Satine. She looked shaken up.

Slowly Sawyer waded out into the water. Jack was moving back towards the shore, still scanning the crystal water. As Sawyer approached Jack seemed to stop and just stare out to sea.

"No sign?" asked Sawyer, knowing the answer.

"None," Jack panted, still soaked. "I mean, even if she'd been…there's be some kind of…anything to prove…"

"If she was right on top of it," Sawyer began carefully, "then there wouldn't be."

Jack seemed to stiffen and Sawyer knew what he was going through. They all loved Kate but no one so much as Sawyer and Jack. They'd both felt something for her, and although Sawyer believed Jack was the one she had chosen, he still loved her. His heart was aching but he knew Jack was in a worse state.

"You wouldn't give up if it was Satine out here," Jack growled, his voice deep and shaking. "Alex was out here too and there's no sign. She wasn't near Kate, she was at the other end of the boat."

"It's possible the tide…"

"Don't talk to me about the tide," Jack snapped angrily, looking at Sawyer. His face was that of a desperate man at the end of his line. "She didn't die."

Sawyer nodded, turning around and heading back to shore. When he reached Satine he shook his head and started up the beach towards his tent. Everyone who had packed their things and brought them to the beach had removed them. Several had disappeared back to the camp and John had gone back to the hatch to press the button. No one seemed to want to talk about Alex or Kate, or whether any of what had happened had any relevance. It didn't quite sink in that they had been rescued and now the disappointment wasn't as harsh.

Sitting down in Sawyer's tent, Satine couldn't get the image out of her head. It had nothing to do with Kate or the explosion. She was seeing a face, a face of a little girl with thick brown hair and bright blue eyes. She was peeking in a door. But Satine couldn't quite place it.

"I thought you had a connection to Alex," Sawyer said quietly as they sat in silence. "I thought you could feel her."

"I can," Satine whispered. "But right now so many people are scared and I'm so scared…I can't really focus right now."

"Is Kate dead?"

Satine closed her eyes and sighed.

"I can't feel her anymore," she whispered. "I could feel her right after, as though she lived through it. But it faded either because she moved farther away or…"

"Jack will find her either way," said Sawyer confidently, watching as the dark image of Jack moved along the water down the beach. From where they were they could just about see him, and he was still swimming and walking around the site. Several of the survivors had begun to help but gave up within moments.

"I'll be back," Satine stood.

"Wait!" Sawyer grabbed her arm and she looked confusedly at him. "I don't know if it's a good idea to…"

She pulled her arm away slight irritated and hurried down the shore towards Jack. He looked exhausted and his shoulders were getting burned from being in the sun and in the water for so long. Satine reached the water but a hand grabbed her shoulder.

Spinning around she faced Rousseau who was no longer crying but looked manic.

"What happened to her?" demanded Rousseau, her eyes wide and crazy. "You know!"

"No I don't!" Satine replied, pulling back but the woman kept a tight grip on Satine's shirt.

"You know! You're like her, you're just like her! She told me about you, about how you were here!" screeched Rousseau. She had gotten several people's attention now. "She saw you!"

"What?" Satine was trying to stop herself but she couldn't help but feel what Rousseau felt, horrible regret and guilt. It boiled inside her and made Satine feel sick. "I don't…"

"You were here, you were tested! You have the same power! TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!" Rousseau had seized Satine's throat now and although she didn't squeeze she felt a firm grip.

"HEY!" Sayid shouted from his place under the trees farther up the beach. "Danielle!"

John had run down the beach and was about to pull Danielle back when out of her coat she pulled a gun. She first pointed it at John who stepped back, his hands up, and then swung it around to Satine.

"Where is my daughter?" Rousseau demanded. "Where is my Alex?"

"I don't know," Satine whispered, tears coming to her eyes. She could see Alex in her minds eye but couldn't see where she was or if she was hurt. Sawyer was running down the beach now. "I really…"

"You know," Rousseau pressed the gun into Satine's side. Jack had emerged from the water and was standing before them, watching with blank eyes. "You see. You see just like she does."

"I'm sorry, I don't," gasped Satine, the hand tightening.

"Let go of her," Jack demanded.

Sawyer, without stopping, walked right up to Rousseau and without any hesitation swung hard and punched her directly in the head. For a moment Satine thought Rousseau was going to pull the trigger but instead, she felt the gun move from her side and the woman fell to the sand unconscious.

Satine staggered back into Jack who didn't move. Turning around she looked at him and he looked down at her blankly.

"Are you okay?" Sawyer rushed to Satine, grabbing her arms. "What was that all about?"

"She just wanted to know where her daughter was," Jack said, no emotion on his face as he glanced down at Rousseau. John quickly picked up the gun and pocketed it. He received several glances. "You should have told her."

"I don't know where she is!" Satine exclaimed, rubbing her throat.

"Yes you do," Jack sighed and stepped over Rousseau.

They all watched Jack walk serenely up the beach and into the jungle. When he was gone, Sawyer helped John move Rousseau up the beach and take away her rifle. They wouldn't tie her up but Satine would stick close to Sawyer in case she woke up angry.

Everyone was shaken, and everyone was mourning. There was no doubt that Kate and Alex were gone, and everyone felt it. There wasn't much talking amongst the survivors that day, and Jack spent the entire day held up in the hatch, the door locked from the inside.

By the next morning, the wreckage had been removed from the beach. Eko had taken the liberty of taking the pieces of wood and using it in his construction. Everyone had unpacked again and seemed to settle into knowing they'd be here a long time. Everyone was still very solemn, and there were whispers that Jack had gone mad. No one had seen him all night and all day. By mid afternoon, John had forced his way into the hatch by using the original entrance they had blasted open.

Ana-Lucia was the only person Jack would talk to. She had first gone into the hatch after John had opened the door after getting in. They had found Jack sitting at the computer staring at the blank screen. John had left quickly, leaving Ana alone with him.

"Hey," she said, sitting on a stool beside him. "How's that game of solitaire?"

She motioned to the blank screen and Jack looked at her and then back at it. She supposed this was not the best time for jokes.

"We're worried about you," Ana said quietly. "We were thinking we'd have a memorial service for Kate and Alex."

Jack seemed confused by this concept and looked up at her.

"Why?" he asked curiously.

"Because they died yesterday, Jack," Ana said quietly, knowing it would be hard for him to swallow. "They're dead."

Jack seemed to sigh and then stood up.

"Yeah," he said. "Alex is dead. But Kate isn't."

Without another word, Jack left the hatch.


	56. Chapter 56: A Damaged Item

Satine could see her.

As Satine lay there, staring up at the dark ceiling of Sawyer's tent, she could see Alex. Sawyer was deep asleep beside her, his slow breathing very soothing to her. She looked over at him and saw he always slept as though ready to jump up, flat on his back with his arms at his sides. He was never relaxed, always on edge.

But she could feel Alex, she could see her and she was in pain. It was a physical pain that Satine began to feel. She felt a horrible burning on her leg as though it were on fire. Before her eyes she could see Alex, and her pant leg was on fire. She screamed as she was catapulted into the air, landing in the water with a tremendous crash. She had been thrown backwards, in the opposite direction of the beach. When she was under the water the stinging ceased and then turned into agony from the salt water. Screaming, water filled her lungs and she began to choke. But someone was pulling her to the surface.

Satine gasped as though just surfacing. She was in a strange dream state, unable to distinguish between what was happening as she saw these events happening through Alex's eyes, and her own body lying in the tent. Alex was being pulled away by someone, barely conscious as the agony ripped through her leg. Satine gripped the thin blanket over her, her nails digging into it. It was pain beyond belief and she could feel the cold salty water whirling around her, as she was pulled farther and farther.

It felt like she was in the water forever before she was finally being dragged along the sand. Looking up she saw the sky was a bright blue, and she could hear what sounded like rain but was actually the wind blowing through the trees. She was being dragged by the back of her shirt and her back and legs were being scratched and bruised by the rough terrain. She could barely see, she was in so much pain and she was so out of it. She struggled for a moment but ceased, as it seemed there was no way to stop it. Her leg was aching, throbbing now. Looking down blearily she saw the jeans were almost completely gone on one leg, burned completely off. Underneath was raw, burnt skin that was now black and looking away she felt sick.

But they seemed to be stopping and suddenly, without warning, she was thrown very hard into a huge hole in the ground with a trap door and as she landed her leg bend painfully and scratched along the bottom.

Satine sat bolt upright screaming in pain and reaching down for her leg, trying to rip the jeans she was wearing off. They were burning, in her mind they were on fire the pain was so bad. Sawyer was awoken so suddenly he looked around confusedly almost forgetting where he was.

"Kid!" he grabbed her but she continued to scream, tearing at her pant leg. He grabbed her arms and made her face him and stared her hard in the face. "WAKE UP!" he bellowed.

She froze, the shout shocking her awake. Looking at Sawyer she began to trembling and he slowly let go of her and she began to cry.

"My leg," she moaned, leaning back.

Carefully Sawyer moved down and looked at her leg. From the outside it looked fine. But very slowly he rolled up her pant leg and gasped.

Her skin was red and raw, and blistering as though on fire. He raised it more and could see the burns wrapped her leg, running up to her knee and fading. He stared, unable to believe it.

But she was in pain and moaning, lying back with her eyes closed. He stared from her face to her leg in shock.

"I…I'll get Jack," he said, standing.

"Sawyer," Satine pleaded. "Hurry."

Sawyer left the tent and went running across the dark beach. Jack would be at the hatch as usual. He picked up speed and flew into the dark jungle, racing through the trees and coming up to the hatch, dashing inside.

He slowed because it was so quiet inside. He came into the main living area and found Jack lying on the couch, fast asleep. Feeling slightly guilty waking him, he stood beside the couch.

"Doc," Sawyer said quietly, glancing up and seeing Ana-Lucia was asleep on the opposite couch. He ignored his initial thoughts and turned back to Jack. "Hey, Doc."

Jack jerked away and sat up quickly, looking around worriedly.

"Doc, it's the kid," Sawyer said quietly.

"What? What is it?" asked Jack groggily.

"Her leg, its…burnt."

Jack looked confusedly up at Sawyer.

"From what?" he said, standing and grabbing his bag. "The explosion?"

"No she was fine after it," said Sawyer as they left the hatch. "She woke up screaming and…its just burnt."

Jack didn't say anything and Sawyer felt slightly stupid but knew Jack's attitude would change once he saw it. Sawyer grimaced thinking of the skin on her leg wrinkling and burning as though on fire.

They reached the beach and began to hurry. Sawyer felt worried, scared that Satine could have possibly gotten worse. They reached the tent and Sawyer stopped.

Satine was sitting up, her pant leg still rolled up. But she was staring at Jack and Sawyer in shock.

"I…" Sawyer was speechless.

Her leg was fine, not burned or raw at all. It was perfectly fine. Sawyer bent and touched the skin lightly, not believing this.

"Is this a joke?" Jack leaned against the side of the tent, rubbing his eyes. "Because it's not funny."

"It was burned!" Satine said shakily. "I could feel the pain!"

"Well, it seems fine to me," Jack sighed, turning around. "Goodnight."

Sawyer and Satine stared at each other, not believing it.

Jack reentered the hatch and sat down on the couch again. Ana-Lucia stirred a bit and opened her eyes.

"Everything okay?" she asked groggily, sitting up.

"Yeah. Just Satine being hysterical again," he sighed tiredly, lying back down. He wanted to fall back to sleep because when he was asleep, Kate was still around. "It's nothing."

"It's near five," she sighed, stretching. "I might as well stay up."

Jack watched her stand and stretch more and then head to the pantry, taking out the box of teabags. He lay there watching her prepare her tea and only looked away when she looked up at him.

"You okay?" she asked, taking her tea back to her couch. "You look kind of pale."

Jack nodded, sighing deeply. Ana felt terrible, wishing there was something she could say.

"When that guy had Kate back at the line," Jack began quietly, his voice the only thing breaking the silence. "When he had her, I thought…I really thought I would watch her die right there. I was so convinced, in my mind I was ready for it, ready to shoot him if he did it. But…he let her go."

Ana wasn't sure what to say to that. She looked down at her tea without saying anything.

"I shouldn't have let her get on the boat. She begged me not to make her go. But I wanted her to have a chance to get back and run. I knew she was going to run again, she wasn't going to jail. I guess…I wanted to help her," he spoke slowly and carefully as though choosing his words. "I should have gone with her."

He looked down and Ana saw it coming before he did. She put her cup down and moved beside him, sitting down and putting a hand on his arm. He was sitting with his face clenched and teeth gritted.

"It's not your fault," Ana said gently, feeling very awkward as Jack sat with his hands over his head, his eyes closed. "No one knew."

"Alex and Satine knew," Jack's head rose and he looked at Ana. "They both knew and they let it happen."

"But Alex told them to jump and Kate couldn't. She thought everyone would get off," said Ana quietly.

"But it wasn't guaranteed," snapped Jack, his voice shaking. "And now she's dead."

"You said you didn't believe…"

Jack stood and turned looking down at Ana. She was shocked to see tears running down his face.

"I don't want to….but she is," he said, his voice trembling horribly. Taking a deep breath he quietly left the hatch.

Sawyer sat there staring at Satine, unsure of what to say.

"What happened?" he breathed.

"I don't know! One second it was killing me then…it disappeared," she looked at Sawyer. "I was half asleep."

"Asleep?" he seemed confused.

"I dreamt about Alex," whispered Satine, rolling her pant leg down. "I dreamt about what happened to her."

"Did she die?" asked Sawyer, unsure of what her answer would be.

"No," whispered Satine. But she was burned.

(flashback)

"Mommy!" Satine came running into the room, having just turned eight years old. She was wearing an expensive dress and satin shoes. But when she entered, the dress and shoes were covered in mud. "Mommy, look!"

Satine's mother had been on the phone and quickly hung it up when she saw her daughter. Satine held what looked like a handful of mud but what was just one of her famous mudpies. But Satine knew better than to play in the mud with her nice clothes on.

"Young lady, you are tracking mud all over the carpet!" snapped her mother, seizing her daughter's small arm and wrenching her from the room, the mud sliding through her fingers and onto her dress more. "I want you to go upstairs and change right now!"

"But Mommy I wanted to show you…"

"GO!"

Satine knew better than to argue. She trudged up the he staircase and went into her large bedroom. Her huge pink bed and piles of toys no longer interested her. She was more interested by the children next door and how she wasn't allowed to play with them. Once her mother had discovered her speaking to them through the hedge and banished her from ever stepping foot in the yard again. That rule ended and Satine was allowed to play but by herself in her lonely backyard filled with many beautiful gardens and statues but nothing to interest an eight-year-old.

After changing, Satine came downstairs. She had a small scrape on her knee that hurt. She hadn't noticed it before in her excitement of making mudpies. She really just wanted her mother's kind attention for once.

Entering the living room in her play clothes now, one of their maids was cleaning the mud on the pearly white carpet. Satine entered carefully, seeing her mother was on the phone again, relaxing in her pink robe, laughing loudly with a wine glass in her hand.

Slowly Satine approached her mother.

"Mommy," she whispered. "I have a cut."

"Go to George," snapped her mother, speaking of their butler. "No, I'm sorry. It's my daughter."

"But Mommy I want you to do it," said Satine gently.

"I said I'm busy!" she snapped angrily, giving Satine a little push in the opposite direction.

"Come darling, I'll do it," said the kind maid, raising herself from her knees.

"NO!" screeched Satine. "I want my Mommy to do it!"

"Satine! Shouting is not permitted! Get out!" shouted her mother, being a hypocrite but also causing Satine to jump back. "I am busy!"

Satine stepped back, her blood boiling. Why couldn't her mother put down the stupid phone? I'm her angel, Satine thought angrily, she calls me her angel why can't she treat me like it? It wasn't even the fact that her knee didn't hurt anymore but she was furious and upset. She hated her mother right now.

There was a roar that sounded like a truck driving through the living room. The walls were quaking, vases and china falling from their shelves. Satine's mother slowly lowered the phone, looking over at the windows, which were rattling loudly as a man stood outside them with a washrag, having just washed them. The phone on the coffee table began to tremble and fell off. Satine remained where she was, her eyes shut tight, fists clenched, as he mother stared terrified around the room.

The shaking stopped and Satine stood there panting. It was silent for a moment before all the windows shattered inward, spraying them all with glass. Satine's mother covered her face and then looked up at Satine, small rays of sunshine coming through the window and illuminating her daughters tear stained face.

"Honey," she said slowly, moving from her place on the couch. Glass slid off her lap and onto the floor. She walked carefully, her slippers crunching the glass into the carpet. The maid remained motionless against the wall by the door. "Honey, it's okay. Mommy's here."

Satine began to cry and let her mother pick her up and hold her. The maid was staring with wide eyes as Satine's mother held her daughter, her eyes holding terrible fear and knowing she needed to make a phone call.

That night as George and several of the maids worked on cleaning up the living room, Satine lay in bed. Her mother had pampered her the rest of the night, bandaging her cuts and helping her wash her hair in case any glass got in it. They didn't say anything to each other but Satine wore a smug grin as her mother brushed her hair out before bed.

After a kiss goodnight Satine had watched her mother cross the room and close the door. After several minutes she heard the humming of someone talking in the next room. Extremely curious, Satine climbed from bed and to the doorway. She tiptoed across the hall, brushing her damp hair from her face as she stood outside her mother's bedroom door.

"You said there wouldn't be any side effects!" her mother was hissing. She was definitely on the phone as there was no returning voice. "I don't care if you pay me triple, she's not normal!"

It was so obvious she was talking about Satine there was no doubt. Satine remained silent and motionless, listening hard.

"You kept her for almost four god damn years! How can you not explain it?" snapped her mother, lowering her voice quickly. "This isn't the first time. The incident at the park was the first, and I informed you about that. But you told me that since that little boy didn't die after falling from the tree, there was nothing to worry about."

Satine remembered no such thing but figured it was before she was born. How could she have gotten a boy in a tree?

"Must I remind you that I could easily reveal your experiments to the government? I know what you're doing isn't legal as much as you say it is," she snapped. Her voice was sarcastic and nasty. "I can easily…"

She seemed to pause and Satine could imagine her mother's eyes widening.

"Of course I wouldn't. No. I'm sorry, I was angry. Will this happen again?" she seemed to have calmed down as though she'd been threatened. After several moments of silence and a nervous clicking that could only be her nails she finally spoke again. "Well how do you keep a child from having emotional bursts? If you say another shot would cure this, I'd gladly do it."

Remembering the shots, Satine shivered.

"No, she doesn't remember anything from her time at the compound. Your drugs must have been good. So if she is sent back for more testing to rid her of this, you could do it again? I couldn't explain it to anyone if I tried especially her," said her mother quickly. "And the pay, it would be double, right? Because it's almost like I purchased something broken."

There was a creak on the stairs and Satine looked over the railing. George was on the bottom of the stairs and she could see he was listening in on the other phone. Glad she wasn't the only person hearing this, Satine listened again.

"Okay. I want double. And if she is still like this, don't even bother sending her back," her mother's voice was cold but slightly slurred and it was obvious she'd had a few drinks. "Okay. When you call say you're the window company. She blew out all the windows in a room this afternoon. Some 'emotional outburst' if you ask me. Okay. Goodnight."

When she heard the phone click down Satine bolted to the left only to smash into George who was looking down at her worriedly. She looked up at him in terror but he gave her a small smile and took her hand, leading her quickly back into her bedroom and shutting the door for her.

"George?" her mother's voice came from the hall just as Satine flew into bed.

"The little miss wanted some water," said their British butler. "I was just bringing some to her."

"I want a martini," said her mother. "And make it a double."

"Right away ma'am."

There was the sound of George going down the stairs and Satine listened hard. She could see a shadow under the door and her mother was listening to see if Satine was awake. After a few more moments she moved on and Satine breathed a sigh of relief, turning over and trying to fall asleep.

But the thoughts were running through her head and she was so confused. As she sat there frustrated, her bedside table began to shake. Slamming a hand down on it, Satine stopped it and turned over roughly.

She was not going to be sent back.


	57. Chapter 57: Cracked

"Walt?"

Jack had come across Walt standing in the jungle just off the path on the way to the beach. He was staring at a place on the ground, not moving and barely blinking.

Stepping over the tall grass Jack stood beside Walt and peered into his face. His eyes looked dilated, and slightly glossy. He wondered if maybe Walt was severely traumatized. It could be dangerous to not have him checked out. But who would do it, Libby? Jack mentally reminded himself to ask her about him.

"Walt? Can you hear me?" Jack asked quietly, passing a hand in front of Walt's eyes. He didn't even blink, just continued to stare at a spot on the ground. Jack looked down and almost fell over.

On the ground partially covered in leaves what Kate's little toy airplane, the one she'd fought so hard to get out of that air marshal's briefcase. Slowly Jack bent and lifted it from the leaves, holding it carefully in his hands. He stared at it, barely seeing it. In his mind all he saw was Kate.

Turning he looked at Walt and then knelt before the boy, putting both hands on his shoulders.

"Did you see Kate?" Jack asked carefully, his voice trembling. Walt's eyes stared blankly through Jack. "Walt!"

Walt didn't answer, continuing to stare. Jack felt aggravated. If Walt had seen Kate he had to know. If she had dropped it before she left for the raft, then it was just here. But what if she had survived? What if she'd dropped it while being abducted?

"WALT!" Jack blew up, unable to control himself he jerked Walt's shoulders angrily. "Please! I need to know!"

"HEY!"

Michael came storming from the path towards Jack, shoving his hands away from Walt.

"Keep your hands off my son!" Michael snapped angrily, looking down at the silent Walt whose expression hadn't changed. "Stay away from him!"

"He might know where Kate is!" Jack exclaimed, rising to his feet and looking at Michael. "He found this."

Jack held out the plane, which obviously meant nothing to Michael, who pulled Walt farther away.

"She could be…"

"Kate's dead!" Michael said coldly, leading Walt back to the path. "Accept it."

Jack watched them go down the path and out of sigh. He looked down at the small plane in his hand and sat down on the ground. He didn't really care that he was sitting in the middle of the jungle. He just wanted Kate there. He wanted her to come around the bend laughing, maybe come up to him and tell him something about her past. Or even if she was in her usual harried state, worrying about the hatch or about someone else on the island. He missed her face already. He could practically see her before him.

"Jack?"

He knew he wouldn't be alone for long. There wasn't much privacy on a deserted island with forty other people.

Standing up, he looked up and froze.

Standing before him was Alex, her entire front covered in blood. She looked as though someone had stabbed her several times and now she came staggering towards Jack, her eyes wide.

"Alex?"

She fell forward onto the ground and he fell beside her, turning her over. Blood was pouring from her chest, her shirt was torn up and he could barely see any of the wounds through the massive amounts of blood. It began soaking the ground below her, forming a large maroon puddle.

Jack's hands shook as he tried desperately to apply pressure but there were too many. He looked down at her face, which looked terrified.

"Jack," she croaked, her eyes pleading. Her felt her reach for his hand and he took it, his won covered in her blood. He kept one hand on her wounds but the blood seeped through his fingers. His head was in a haze.

"Alex. I need to get help," he said to her, his voice shaking so hard he could barely understand himself. He found he was crying, tears pouring down his face. His chest was about to explode. He felt completely overwhelmed. "Stay with me."

"Jack," she repeated, blood forming at the corner of her mouth. He lowered his head, letting out wracked sobs.

"Hold on for me," he pleaded, his whole body trembling. The blood had formed a large circle around them and he could feel it soaking into his pants. "Please."

"Kate," she gagged, blood choking her. Jack's eyes went wide. "Black Rock."

"What?" Jack gripped her hand but her eyes had begun to haze.

"No!" he shook her. "Please. Don't. No. Alex, you can't. No. You're all I have left…"

She looked at him with glossy eyes and gaze a small smile. The sobs wracked him so hard it was painful. Her eyes stopped moving and her pupils got wide. Her struggled breathing had ceased.

Jack sat there gripping her limp hand, sobbing hard right out loud. It was for Alex, and it was for Kate but mostly it was for himself not being able to save either of them. In his mind this was all his fault, this was his doing. He had practically done this to them. He felt sick with guilt and his cries were loud and clear.

He had to tell the others. He had to find them. Standing up shakily he looked down at Alex's lifeless body and moved around her, the air cooling the blood on his knees. He moved quickly and broke into a run, sprinting down the path and towards the hatch. Reaching it, he flew inside and came to a stop at the main living area.

Sawyer, Satine, Ana-Lucia, Hurley, John, and Sayid all were inside. Sawyer and Satine were sitting at the table talking in low voices while Ana and Sayid were putting something together on the counter. John and Hurley each stood watching Ana and Sayid, but had looked up when Jack came in.

"Jack?" Ana hurried to him, seeing his red eyes and gasps. "What happened?"

"I found Alex," he sobbed, not caring who saw. "I found her. She died. She died right there."

"What?" John came over also. "Where?"

Jack could barely breathe.

"In the jungle. I was just sitting there. Someone killed her. Someone…the blood was everywhere," he coughed, feeling very sick.

"I don't see any blood on you," Ana looked down at him. "Was she already dead?"

"What? No. I tried my best, I'm covered in…"

Jack froze. Looking down he saw the stains on his knees were gone, and his hands were clean. He felt his face, as he had wiped his face with a bloody hand without realizing. The blood was gone.

"But…I saw her," he spoke slowly, his voice nasally. His face was red from crying and his eyes still watering, tear streaks down his face. "No, she was there.'

"Take us to where you found her," John said carefully, looking precarious.

Jack turned around, still gasping for breath. He led John and Ana-Lucia from the hatch and out onto the path. They'd see her, he thought firmly. They'd see her and know he wasn't lying. They probably thought he had cracked every since Kate died. But he had seen her, he had felt the blood on his hands.

Turning off the path, he stomped over the brush and came to the spot.

"The blood," Jack whispered. "It's gone."

The spot was clear. The huge puddle of blood that had spread from beneath her had vanished. The only thing left was the tiny toy airplane he had dropped, but should have been covered in crimson. Instead it was clean and he picked it up, pocketing it and turning back to them.

"She was here. She died right here!" he insisted, feeling as though his head were spinning. He staggered a bit and Ana hurried forward, taking his arm. "No, she was here."

"You need to come back with us," Ana said quietly, trying to lead him toward the path. "I think you need some sleep."

"She was right here!" he shouted, yanking his arm away from her and stepping back. "She was here! She said Kate's name and then something about the Black Rock! She was here!"

"Then where is the blood?" asked John.

Jack wanted to punch him. But Ana took Jack's arm and led him shakily back to the path but he pulled away from her.

"I'm fine," he insisted, stepping away. "I just…need some sleep."

The sun was setting below the trees as Jack began hurrying back to the beach. The sun sank fast and by the time he reached Satine and Sawyer's tent it was dark.

They hadn't returned from the hatch yet. Moving away to the jungle Jack found a good spot and settled down against a tree in perfect view of their tent. He sat there as the sun sank below the horizon and the sounds of the night came alive. People started fires and bugs began buzzing and chirping in the trees. The wind blew the canopy about and the ocean continued to crash onto the shore. Jack felt the exhaustion and it made him want to lay down on the sand and just go to sleep forever. But as his eyes began to close, they snapped open again when he saw Satine and Sawyer entering their tent.

He remained still watching as they seemed to move around for a bit but then their lantern went out and it was quiet.

Jack gave it ten more minutes before he rose and walked slowly across the sand. He came around the entrance to the tent and saw Sawyer asleep on the right against the side, his face covered with his blanket. But Satine lay wide awake and when she saw Jack, she sat up.

"Can I talk to you?" Jack asked quietly, knowing she was probably freaked out by his actions earlier. "It's important."

She nodded and climbed out of the tent. He walked with her a bit down the beach and then he stopped.

"I wanted to apologize for accusing you of knowing where Kate was and being so harsh. I…I was distraught and really wasn't sure what to do," he said quietly, looking down uncomfortably at the sand. "It's not your fault her and Alex died. And I wanted you to know I was sorry."

Satine felt unsure. Jack had never been known to admit he was wrong before. This was something completely new. But he had also thought he'd seen Alex die this afternoon and been completely torn about it. He was in such a state she didn't want to upset him more by expressing surprise.

"Thank you," she said softly. "That's really nice of you."

He nodded, giving her a small smile. When she turned to walk back he caught her arm with surprising strength.

"I need to show you something," he said gently, turning her back to face him. "I think you'd be interested."

"Can it wait until morning? I was up half the night," she said quietly.

"No. Please," he seemed desperate and his grip on her arm tightened. "It's something…something of your mother's that I found and I wanted to be the one to give it to you."

"My mother's?" she looked up and down the dark beach. Almost everyone was in their tents, only a few sitting near small fires. She felt nervous. "Um, I suppose. Where is it?"

"It's in the hatch," Jack seemed happy that she had agreed. "Come."

He let go of her arm and began walking up the beach. She followed behind him, wishing Sawyer could come along with her. Who knew what kind of mental state Jack was in and whether or not he was dangerous. She felt increasingly nervous as they walked through the dark jungle on the narrow path. Several times he had glanced back at her to make sure she was still there. When they finally reached the hatch they went inside.

Hurley was sitting at the table reading a large book about whales. When they entered he looked up.

"Could we have a minute?" Jack asked quietly, Satine standing behind him.

Nodding, Hurley stood quickly, leaving the book and hurrying from the hatch. For a moment it was quiet and Jack went around to each of the doorways making sure no one else was there. Then he went to the door and shut it, locking it from the inside.

"Why did you do that?" Satine asked quietly, fear rising within her.

"Just so no one disturbs us. This is kind of private and I don't want you being upset by intruders," he said, giving her a warm smile. He then proceeded to drawing her a chair to the middle of the room. She sat.

"I'll go get it, okay? Close your eyes," he said, looking down at her.

Her heart was hammering as she did as he said and listened to his retreating footsteps. Popping them open she stood and dashed for the door. Halfway there something hard collided with her head and she went sprawling to the floor, landing hard against the side of the table and looking up at Jack who was holding the end of a rifle which he'd just hit her with.

"Jack? What are you doing?" she cried, trying to get up.

He seized her arm and wrenched her up. Her head spun as he dragged her back to the chair and threw her into it. She closed her eyes, the pain in her head blinding. Looking up at him she saw he had the gun in his hands although it was not pointed at her.

"Now, I've spent the last few days being told Kate and Alex were dead," he said quietly, beginning to circle the chair. "I found this in the jungle."

He pulled out the toy airplane and shoved it into Satine's hands. Immediately Satine knew what Kate had done to be wanted for murder, and she knew what her father had done to her. But then she snapped back to reality and looked at Jack.

"You are going to tell me where Kate is," Jack said, his eyes looking crazed. "Because I am not playing games anymore. Since the moment you arrived here you've caused nothing but death and destruction. You know where they are and you're going to tell me."

"Or what?" she snapped, horribly furious. "Will you shoot me?"

He fired a shot at the wall and it ricochet, hitting the cabinet and leaving a large smoking hole. Satine sat with her eyes wide, staring up at Jack.

"I will shoot you. Now, tell me where Kate is."

Sawyer had noticed Satine was gone shortly after she left. As he emerged from the tent he had a feeling he knew where she was. Walking towards the path he came onto it and found Sayid walking along just ahead of him.

"Where you off to so late?" asked Sawyer haughtily.

"Not that it's any of your business but I saw Jack head this way with Satine. I thought I'd see what they were doing," Sayid snapped, not even turning back to look at Sawyer.

They reached the hatch and stopped when they saw the shut door.

"Maybe its not…"

They heard the gunshot and looked at each other.

"Go get John," Sayid ordered. "GO!"


	58. Chapter 58: The End of the Road

"We'll go in the hatch door," said Sawyer as he returned with John to Sayid. The dark jungle seemed to press in around them. "I'll jump down."

"I nailed it shut. Water was coming in and flooding the hall," John said.

"We'll pry it off. Come on!" Sawyer exclaimed.

"Sawyer!" Sayid grabbed his arm. "Jack won't hurt Satine."

"Have you seen him lately? He is so upset over Kate he could do anything," John said strongly. He seemed to agree with Sawyer.

"Jesus this is like when the Others had the hatch," Sawyer ran his hand through his hair, his heart racing. "Jesus."

"He can't help you. Come on, we need to get in," John said calmly. "Let's check out the hatch door maybe we can get it off."

Satine allowed Jack to bind her hands behind her. She wasn't scared, she knew who Jack really was. He was the kind doctor who couldn't stand to see anyone suffer. She could see in his eyes the grief over Kate's death and how hard it was for him. She felt his pain, both physically and emotionally. She knew how he felt but couldn't express it.

Now he left her tied up in the chair and went over to the counter where he laid the gun down calmly. His hands were trembling as he returned to her.

"I don't want to hurt you, but I will," he said firmly, although his eyes wavered. He was staring hard at her but she remained serene. "I need to know where she is."

"What makes you think I know where Kate is?" asked Satine quietly, looking up at him as though asking a small question about the weather.

"You and Alex had that whole psychic thing going. I don't know, when I look at you I can see her. I can see her alive and somehow I know you see her too," he said desperately, forgetting he was the angry kidnapper for a moment. He turned in a circle, frustrated. "Plus you knew all that stuff when you came here."

"Alex is psychic because she was on this island and they tested her. But I'm not from here," she insisted, the ropes cutting into her wrists. "So I don't have it!"

"You do. You have it I know it. Everytime I touch you, everytime I'm in the room with you it's like my mind is a free for all with everything flying all over the place for anyone to know. Like you break it open…"

"You're crazy," she shook her head.

Sawyer reached the hatch door first and leaned over it, seeing the large board nailed over it. He reached down and yanked at one edge but was only able to get it to give a small bit. Sayid and John came up and each grabbed a side.

"I spent two hours doing this," John groaned as they pulled. "For nothing."

With one last pull the board came off and they chucked it aside. Sawyer went to climb in but Sayid stopped him.

"It's a long drop. You could get hurt. Let me get a rope," Sayid turned and ran towards the beach.

Sawyer looked at John and then at the hole. He waited a beat before walking over to it and climbing down the first few steps. He reached the last one before the ladder was broken and looked up at John who was looking down at him.

"Okay, don't forget to bend your knees!" John said.

Nodding, Sawyer took a deep breath before jumping.

He looked ready to hit her but backed away at the sound of something loud coming from the hall. He grabbed the knife from the counter and came towards her. For the first time she was scared but he went around and untied her hands.

"You're going to come with me to the Black Rock," he said angrily, pulling her up. "And you're going to tell me where Kate is."

"The Black Rock? What is that?" Satine asked as he yanked her towards the door.

He froze when he heard Sawyer's voice shouting for Satine. Quickly he pulled her into the bathroom and hid behind the door.

Through the crack Satine saw Sawyer hurry by still calling for her. He reached the main room and went inside.

Yanking her along Jack scrambled out of the bathroom towards the locked hatch door. Quickly he threw the lock and pushed it open, pushing her out ahead of him and then closing it again. Knowing Sawyer would have heard it, he grabbed Satine's arm and began pulling her behind him off the path through the pitch dark jungle.

She didn't struggle because she knew maybe going to this Black Rock place and seeing that Kate wasn't there would help Jack accept that she really was gone. Satine liked Jack, and saw him as a kind of brother and knew that if he found she wasn't there he was going to lose it. She wasn't afraid of him really, but wanted to make sure he didn't do something rash if by himself when it all came down on him.

Sawyer reached the main living area and scanned it. There were cut ropes on the floor by a chair. Just as he was about to check more he heard the sound of the hatch door slam shut. Spinning on his heel, he dashed back down the hall and threw open the hatch door.

In the darkness he couldn't see far and had no idea which way they had gone.

Sayid came running up to him holding a rope.

"Thanks for the rope but you're a little late, " Sawyer sighed. "They're gone."

Jack had slowed to a walk and had even let go of Satine's arm when he realized she wasn't going to run away. They trudged through the jungle for a long time, the darkness terrifying to Satine. It was pitch black all around her and she couldn't understand what Jack thought he'd find in the darkness.

"What is the Black Rock?" Satine asked him as they walked, stepping over brush.

"It's an old slave ship that was beached here probably during a bad storm," he said quietly, his eyes far off.

"This far inland?"

"It was back in the slave days. This island has probably grown since then," he said nastily.

"Oh yes. They just sprout right up," she replied, but received no laugh.

They continued walking and the silence was killing her. She wondered what he had intended to do if Sawyer had actually come in on them. Would he have given up and let them lock him in the armory. He wasn't crazy, just grief stricken.

"Did you know Kate before the crash?" she asked softly.

"No," snapped Jack, clearly hinting he didn't want to discuss her.

"So you met here?"

"Obviously," he replied. But she knew talking was the only way to keep him from brooding.

"Did you guys ever…."

"No!" he shouted, looking over at her. "God."

"Just asking. I mean the jungle is pretty….erotic," she laughed at herself but stopped when she looked up at him. "Sorry."

He was quiet for a bit but then spoke again in an uncertain voice.

"Not that we wouldn't have we just…" he seemed unsure of what to say. "We weren't really like dating. She wasn't like my girlfriend or whatever. I mean, we're on a deserted…well not deserted but an island not a lot of people know about and the last thing we need is relationship stuff."

"But it'd be so easy. You wouldn't have to worry about other people butting in, you're practically alone all the time, you'd have a lot of privacy," she said.

"You'd be surprised," he raised an eyebrow at her but shook his head. "No. It wasn't something in the front of my mind…or anyone's mind."

"Well that's probably because you didn't expect to be here long. But if something had happened at least you'd have had no competition," she spoke slyly.

"Yeah," he sighed, thinking of Sawyer and how he was the only competition there. "Yeah I suppose."

They continued walking in silence and only when Jack stopped did Satine look at him.

"What?"

"We're here," he said softly, as though not believing it.

Satine looked up but couldn't see much in the darkness. From what she could make out something huge was in this clearing and it had large masts and poles poking into the night sky. There was the smell of rotting wood and something else.

"We came here a few weeks ago, long before you were here. It was when we found the hatch. We couldn't get it open and Rousseau said there was dynamite here. So we came and found it but someone died handling it," Jack explained, not moving towards the ship.

"Oh," Satine nodded. She didn't know someone had died there. "Sorry bout that."

"Well, we won't be able to see anything in the dark," Jack suddenly sat down on the ground. "We'll have to wait until morning."

"Wait a second," Satine couldn't believe this. "First you wake me lying and saying you found something of my mothers. Then you hit me in the head with a gun. Now you take me out to the middle of the jungle, absolutely convinced that Kate is here, just to sit down and wait until morning?"

Jack seemed to think for a moment.

"Yeah," he looked at her simply. "If Kate's here, I'm never going to find her in the dark."

"You're the worst kidnapper ever," she shook her head and sat down across from him.

They waited there in the dark. The sky remained pitch black longer than Satine expected. Sighing, she looked at Jack.

"You know she's not going to be in there," Satine whispered, playing with some grass and not looking at him. "That's why you don't want to go in."

Jack didn't speak and she looked up. He was looking sadly at the dark form of the ship.

"I guess I wanted to postpone the disappointment," he said quietly, his voice shaking a bit. "I'm sorry I hit you."

"It's okay," she waved her hand, putting one to the lump on the side of her head. "Barely hurt."

"I just thought if you knew I could force it out of you," he wouldn't look at her and in the dark she swore his eyes were shining. "I just hoped maybe one person didn't believe it."

She could hear him trying not to cry. His sniffling was soft but obvious.

"She's been here all along," he said, his voice trembling. "She's always been here, how can she not be?"

Satine didn't know what to say.

"When Boone and Shannon died, I thought okay well it was meant to be. But it didn't hit me that hard. I knew them but…but Kate…"

He looked down and began to cry. But this time it wasn't just a cry. Jack knew Kate was gone and this was it, this was what he didn't want to face. His entire soul hurt, he wished he could have told her everything. She had apologized for kissing him while all he wanted to do was do it again. Everything about her intrigued him, and he couldn't help but love her for it. She knew Sawyer felt the same for Kate, but didn't care. Jack knew he could give Kate everything she needed. He had met her here but gave no intention of leaving her once they were rescued. Somehow, he felt he'd be with Kate. But could never make that clear.

Now she was gone. He looked up at Satine and she scooted forward so her knees were touching his and she put a hand on his arm.

"You're not alone," she whispered. "I lost my mother. I know how it is."

"How did you not fall apart?" he asked, his eyes streaming.

"I did," she let out a small laugh and sniffled. She was now crying. "I just didn't let any of you see it."

For a long time she let him sit there and cry. She sat directly before him and after a long time finally hugged him.

"I want to be rescued," he said quietly into her shoulder. "I want to go home."

"We all do," she said.

"No," he pulled back but held onto her hands. "Before, I was okay with it. I wasn't in any rush. I had nothing at home. But now…I have nothing here. Even Alex is gone."

"We'll get home," she sighed. "I know I'm way too young to be telling you this but you'll be okay. It'll hurt but you'll be okay."

He hugged her again but they both turned when they heard twigs snapping and bushes move.

Out of the jungle came firelight and stumbling through the trees came Sawyer, John, and Sayid. Jack and Satine jumped to their feet and Satine noticed Jack quickly wiping his eyes.

"What the hell?" Sawyer went towards Jack but Satine jumped between them.

"NO!" she put her hands on Sawyer's chest, pushing him back but she was barely competition. "Sawyer, don't."

"He locked you guys in! And…you're bleeding," Sawyer had noticed her head was bleeding and gotten distracted but pulled himself back and looked at Jack. "Man, what the hell?"

Jack looked softly at Sawyer and then turned around and walked away. He went into the jungle on the opposite side of the clearing and kept walking, going out of sight. Satine looked up at Sawyer who looked confused.

"What was that all about?" Sawyer asked Satine.

"He's accepting that Kate is gone," Satine said softly, her hands still on Sawyer's chest. Sawyer looked down at her confusedly. "Leave him alone."

Sayid and John turned around and started back through the jungle, John holding a torch. Sawyer and Satine remained where they were for a moment.

"She's really gone, isn't she," Sawyer said softly, looking down at Satine in the dark.

Moving close, Satine hugged him and he hugged her back. For a moment Sawyer looked over at the large ship and a glimmer of something, possibly firelight within the ship. Shaking his head he took Satine's hand and led her away.


	59. Chapter 59: Impulse

Turning over Satine faced Sawyer. She couldn't sleep as her mind was racing. It was very early morning and they had only returned about an hour ago. Since they'd been up half the night, they were allowing themselves to sleep long after the sun came up. No one had seen Jack since they saw him walk off, although no one expected to so soon.

She was surprised to see Sawyer was awake looking at her.

"Hey," she said quietly.

"Hi," he replied, sighing.

For a moment Sawyer wasn't sure why, but he wanted to kiss her. The impulse struck him fast and hard and for a moment he almost did. She lay there beside him looking so exhausted, so drained emotionally and physically that she looked absolutely beautiful in the small bit of light coming in through the tent flap. Her eyes seemed to sparkle and his insides seemed to ache.

Coming back to reality, Sawyer sat up. Satine looked confusedly at him.

"I…uh…need some water."

He jumped up and hurried out of the tent only to crash into Sayid.

"What the hell, man? Sneaking up on me," Sawyer stepped back, running his hands through his hair nervously. Sayid gave him a skeptical look. "What?"

"Jack hasn't come back yet," Sayid said quietly, peering into the tent and seeing Satine had lain back down.

"Well I didn't expect him to come skipping back into camp," Sawyer said, shaking his head. "Give him time."

"He wasn't sane. I don't feel right letting him wander by himself," Sayid seemed concerned.

"The guy lost his girl. Just let him alone," Sawyer turned to walk away but Sayid caught his arm. "Um, hello?"

Sawyer shook his head and walked off.

Satine walked up the beach. She couldn't sleep any more even though she was dead tired. Looking around, she wondered what to do. Sawyer had run off and now she was stuck worrying about Jack.

"Hey," Claire came up behind Satine. Usually Claire wasn't friendly with Satine. "What are you up to?"

Slightly taken aback, Satine shrugged and sat down on the sand.

"Listen, I know I haven't been the nicest to you but Alex explained everything to me," she said quietly. Aaron wasn't with her, but with Charlie down the beach. Satine gave Claire a confused look.

"Alex told you what?" Satine asked.

"About you and the lab," Claire looked at Satine. "I mean, you…"

"I've never spoken more than like a sentence to Alex," insisted Satine, wondering if Alex had been some kind of liar. "I don't know her at all."

Claire's eyes seemed to widen.

"What did she tell you?" Satine whispered.

Satine crashed into the hatch where she found Sawyer pacing nervously.

When he saw her enter his mind immediately switched from his previous thoughts. She was crying and hysterical, shaking as she made her way over to him and hugged him tightly.

"Alex told everyone things," she was sobbing, and he put his arms around her. "She said…she said…"

Satine was gasping too hard to talk and he pulled her over to a chair and sat her down, kneeling in front of her. She was a wreck, gasping and shaking. Sawyer couldn't think of anything Alex had said that could get her this upset.

"She told Claire that I was here before," she gasped, her chest heaving. "And that they did experiments on me and that's why I'm like this."

Sawyer looked confusedly at her.

"Why would Alex tell other people this and not you?" he asked curiously.

"I don't know!" she exploded. "Maybe she's some sort of compulsive liar or whatever!"

"Well you shouldn't worry about it then. She's some stupid sixteen year old spreading rumors," he tried to laugh. "Come on, calm down."

"No!" she sniffled hard. "No, because she's so like psychic or whatever they believe her."

"I doubt that," he laughed again and she glared at him. He took her hands. "Come on, stop."

"It's not even just that," Satine calmed down a bit and could look straightly at Sawyer. Tears were still streaming down her face. "I…"

"What?" he didn't understand.

"I think it's true," she whispered, looking around to make sure the hatch was empty. When she looked back at Sawyer, he saw fear in her eyes. "I don't think she made it up."

"But you remember everything about growing up normally," he said, taking the seat across from her and leaning forward. "You would remember it."

"She told Claire that I came when I was like two, and left when I was five or six. She said I was the odd one because I responded too well, and they sent me back. They paid my mother to let them perform tests on me," she choked up again and started to cry.

"I doubt that," he shook his head.

"I don't," she snapped up, looking at him wildly. "Why did they take Walt and want Aaron? They have something for kids."

"You're crazy," he stood up and paced. "There's no way you came from here. What are the chances of you landing here again?"

"Sawyer," she stood up, her hands still shaking. "I'm psychic. Alex said she knew me from somewhere. When I came here, I didn't tell you but…it felt weird. I could see and hear things that were coming from my head not the island."

"Stop," he threw up his hands. "You are not one of them! You're normal!"

"RIGHT!" she laughed sarcastically and then stopped. She began to cry again and sat back down. "What if she's right? What if I'm one of them?"

"What difference does it make? So you're mom was a child seller. It doesn't make you any different," he insisted.

"People infected with it die, Sawyer," she whispered. "I've been so weak…"

"You were shot twice," he gave her a small smile. "If you thought you'd be weight lifting…"

She let out a laugh and it made his stomach jump.

"Don't worry about it for now. You have enough on your plate."

She gave a small smile and again, that strange impulse to kiss once again erupted inside him. She was looking at him and still smiling and he just wanted to kiss her. Why? She was always like a baby sister to him. It didn't make sense.

He stood up quickly and she looked startled.

"We better clear out before it becomes Grand Central Station again," he said, heading for the door.

Standing she followed him from the hatch. They reached the beach and Satine stopped.

"I'll see you later. I need to talk to Claire," she said. He gave her a skeptical look then watched her head away.

"I'm so sorry about before!" Claire stood up quickly. After explaining what Alex had said, Claire had watched Satine stand and run off towards the hatch. "I didn't know it would upset you!"

"No, it's fine," Satine said, knowing her red eyes were obvious. "Listen, I was wondering about something. Do you think you could remember the way back to that hatch you were taken to?"

Claire looked at her curiously.

(flashback)

Satine stood by herself in the playground. She was only eight, and all the other children were playing. The other girls didn't like Satine because her mother dressed her up like an adult in little pantsuits. Also, in class Satine seemed to know all the answers sometimes even before the question was asked.

Sitting down on the curb under the maple tree by herself she watched several boys go down the slide a few times before they came over to her. She knew this didn't mean anything good.

"Hey it's the girl with the weird name," said one boy named Tommy with a face like a turtle. "What is it again?

"Satine," she pronounced it the French way her mother did.

"Haha! Might as well be poop!" laughed a boy who Satine only knew as the boy who ate his boogers.

"Nice shirt," said one of the boys who was quieter usually but beginning to catch on to this game. He poked at her red blouse. "What is it like one hundred years old?"

All the boys cackled even though none of them seemed to know what it meant. Satine felt her face reddening and her heart beginning to race. She stood up, ready to hurry towards the teacher who was speaking with one of the janitors. But they stood in her way.

"Let me go! I'm telling!" Satine stamped her foot.

"NO!" Tommy went forward and pushed Satine.

She stumbled back and her foot caught on the curb sending her spilling onto the concrete. Her hands and elbows scraped painfully and she cried out. The boys took a step back, ready to run if the teacher had heard but she hadn't.

"Haha!" laughed the booger boy.

Satine began to cry as she looked at her bleeding hands and then suddenly the crying stopped and rage took over. Looking up at them, she stood up quickly and they all seemed to step back again.

"That…wasn't…very…NICE!"

Hardly believe it, Satine watched as the wind suddenly began to pick up. The boys looked up and around curiously and there was a sudden, bright flash of lightning and it struck the maple tree, snapping a huge branch the size of a car.

It happened in slow motion as everyone froze. The three boys looked up and watched as the tree fell and hit them hard. Satine fell back again but didn't get hurt, scrambling back to her feet and backing herself up against the wall of the school building. The teacher was screaming to call an ambulance as the wind settled down and the cloud moved away from the sun. Screams were everywhere but Satine only watched as the blood ran on the sidewalk…

"Mommy, where am I going?" Satine stood in her doorway as her mother threw her little things into a pink suitcase.

"Away," snapped her mother, her face red with drunkeness. "What you did today was terrible."

"Mommy, I didn't do anything!" she squealed, her stomach squirming. "The tree branch fell!"

"You know very well what happens when you get mad!" screamed her mother and Satine jumped back.

Satine's mother finished packing the bag and zipped it, picking it up easily and marching to the door, flinging Satine's coat at her. She caught it and followed her mother out the door and down the stairs. At the bottom their butler greeted Satine with a warm yet sad smile and gave her a small hug before taking the bag to the car.

At the car was a strange looking Asian man who frightened her. She stepped back into her mother.

"Now darling, be good," Satine's mother bent and fakely smiled as she buttoned her only child's coat. "You'll be back in no time."

"I'll be good!" Satine begged, tears spilling from her eyes as she threw her arms around her mother's neck. Her mother swayed from her crouched position, still not sober, but let the girl hug her. "I promise! I won't do anything!"

"Go on, darling," she said, standing and putting Satine's hand in the Asian man's hand. "Go now."

"Mommy!" Satine tried to struggled but the man easily pushed her into the car and closed the door.

Through her drunken stupor, Satine's mother stepped down a few steps and leaned towards the Asian man.

"When she comes back from the lab she'll be completely normal?"

The Asian man nodded and got into the driver's seat. Inside were the sounds of tiny fists beating against the glass and trying to open the door. In a strange flash of sobriety the woman almost felt sorry, but then remembered she had another bottle of sherry in the cupboard and went to find it.

(end flashback)

Satine and Claire seemed to walk for ages before Claire recognized the area.

"Here's where Rousseau found me," Claire said carefully, looking around the area. "So it's in this direction."

"Thanks again," Satine said gratefully. "I just really need to see if it brings back memories."

"It did for me," Claire said quietly. "It made me realize how close I came."

Satine was silent. She hadn't been far from death either a few times. She was a weak person and often any kind of injury would send her over the edge. She felt for Claire though, having heard it all.

"Here we are," Claire stopped in front of a large clump of bushes. She saw Satine's confusion and stepped forward, pushing the fallen branches and brush off double doors in the side of the rockface. Satine stared in awe. "Help me."

Together they wrenched the doors upward and stared down inside the dark tunnel. Claire shivered with memories but Satine was speechless.

"Claire," Satine said softly. "At the end of this ramp is there a box with flashlights in it."

Claire looked at Satine with wide eyes.

"Yes. Who told you that?"

"No one," replied Satine. "I've been here before."


	60. Chapter 60: True and False

Satine and Claire walked slowly down the ramp, Satine's heart beating so fast it hurt. She had unconsciously grabbed Claire's hand as they walked into the darkness.

Reaching to her belt, Claire pulled out a flashlight and shone it around. They were coming near the bottom of the ramp and to the left was a long hallway with white walls. At the very end a light was flickering inside a larger room.

"Satine are you okay?"

Satine nodded, walking forward. Claire remained where she was, knowing Satine probably needed to deal with this on her own. Satine walked down the hallway shining her own flashlight around on the walls. In the room at the end a single light was flickering, apparently the only working one left. She passed many open doorways into nothing but blackness. As she reached the end of the hall a familiar smell came over her.

(flashback)

"We need you to lie still," said a harsh voice beside her.

Satine had been laid down on the table in the large room with a huge light above her. She was still crying from being put in the car so abruptly and her mother not giving her a reason. Now she was being forced to lay down as many scary people stood over her.

"I want my Mom!" she screamed, struggling.

"Alright, we'll have to put her out," said one of them.

"No! She needs to be conscious!" snapped a very stern looking woman. "Just strap her down!"

They succeeded in getting her small arms into straps until her legs and arms were held down.

"Okay now."

The electricity shot through her body, arching her back and causing tears to spring to her eyes and her mouth go wide in pain.

(end flashback)

Satine knelt on the ground in the room before the overturned table, her flashlight on the ground. She knew it was true, she had been taken here and tested. Alex had been right about the whole thing. All of it had come back to her, everything. She couldn't believe all along her mother had done this to her and never told her. The sobs came long and hard as she knelt there.

Claire could hear Satine crying but didn't know what to do. She remained standing at the end of the hall for a long time before Satine finally came walking back, her flashlight bobbing in the darkness.

"Hey," Claire said quietly, unsure of what to say.

But Satine had frozen, staring straight ahead. Her heart seemed to have stopped, her entire body going frigid.

Standing at the other end of the long hallway was Alex, strangely illuminated as she stood directly before the dead end. Satine's eyes went wide as she saw Alex looked filthy and there was blood all over her face. Satine didn't blink, completely numb.

"ALEX!" Satine shouted, seeing the light around Alex was fading back into the pitch darkness. "No!"

Claire watched as Satine took off down the hallway, her flashlight flying all over, illuminating the broken walls and dripping ceiling. Only when she was halfway there did Claire realize, and only after Satine disappeared from sight with a scream.

"Satine!"

Satine felt the ground disappear out from under her and then the splash of water as she was completely submerged and smashed her knees against the hard floor. The water was only a few feet deep and she quickly gained her footing and stood, her legs aching as she coughed and sputtered.

"Claire?" Satine coughed, looking upward. She found her flashlight floating nearby and it was still working. She grabbed it and pointed it upward at the large hole in the floor, the edges molded and rotted away from the dripping water from the leaking ceiling.

Claire's terrified face appeared over the side of the hole.

"Oh my god!" Claire exclaimed, looking around.

"Go get help!" Satine shouted, shivering. "Hurry!"

She listened to Claire running back down the hall. Satine looked up, her heart still racing. She had seen Alex, she had been there. Satine shook her head, wondering if she was losing her mind.

The hole was about ten feet deep and she hoped whoever came would remember a rope.

As she shone her flashlight up, she noticed something shining. Pointing it down and looking around she noticed she was in some kind underground cellar. It wasn't very wide, barely larger than the hole, about twenty feet in diameter. All around the walls were filing cabinets with letters and numbers on them. On one wall was a large wooden desk, half rotted away. The water was up to Satine's chest but the cabinets were so tall they reached the ceiling.

She had been a patient…or subject here. If it was true, she would be in these files.

Moving around the room she searched the letters but they weren't alphabetical order. They made no sense to her and as she walked around, moving slow in the deep murky water she tried to make sense of them, trying to jog her memory.

After her third pass around the entire room she froze at one cabinet. There was a number on the drawer that was just above the water level. It had the numbers 4 8 15 16 23 42 on it. Those were the numbers that went into the computer, the numbers that everyone seemed to have memorized.

She pulled open the drawer and found only three files inside. One was labeled 'Franklin, Kelvin'. The next was 'Foreman, Desmond'. And the final one simply read 'The Thomas Case' CONFIDENTIAL.

Satine's last name was Thomas.

Sawyer put the ax down from chopping wood and wiped his brow. He hadn't seen Satine all day and couldn't stop thinking about her again. He hated himself for it, and he wished there were something he could do. He had always cared about her, even the tough guy part of him admitted that. But now, after that one morning waking up and thinking that, it was like nothing else mattered.

He headed back to the beach, forgetting his shirt. He reached the sand and walked down to the water and bending so he could splash some water on his face. As he did this, he heard what sounded like a shout and turned to see Claire come bursting out of the jungle.

"Sawyer!" she skidded down the sand, almost falling. "It's Satine!"

Pulling open the drawer she took out her file and waded to the desk. It had a higher tier with several mugs and lamps, which she shoved off into the water. Laying out the file she flipped it open.

Her heart was in her throat as she examined it. She was shivering, soaked from head to foot. She carefully lifted the paper since it had been wet and then dried and was now crackling.

She read over basic things like where she was born, her first year of life. But then the next several pages were her different ages. Her first page was when she was only a year old, and it went until she was four. Then it skipped a few years until she was eight. Reading the page of where she was eight, she stopped and read.

"Child has amazing psychic abilities. Reads mind of doctors. Note to surgeons: happens when child is unconscious also. Shows telekinetic ability as well, especially when child is upset."

Satine scanned down a few lines and stopped.

"Prognosis: No further treatment required, additional stay allowed if asked for by guardian. Resume normal lifestyle, withdraw hallucinogenic drugs from IV. In future watch for tumors, growths, and anemia. Weakness may follow injury due to lack of production of blood. Internal bleeding may occur. Weakened by electrolysis, may need transfusion, estimated lifespan up to 20 years of age no older."

A cold chill swept through her body as she stood there reading it. Shaking her head she turned the page and read on.

As she summed it up in her head, she was basically sent there for testing for money when she was about a year old and they kept her for four years until she became too powerful. They sent her back but she was a danger to society so she came back to the compound for further testing. Electrolysis was used to control the telekinesis and telepathic abilities and when they thought it was okay sent her back home and said she was getting too old to come because she would begin to remember it, since the hallucinogenic drug she was on didn't seem to work anymore.

Powerful, she wondered as she closed the folder. She had never imagined herself as powerful. She had accidents when she was a child where her anger would cause dangerous things to happen but they went away, and now she knew it was because of this place. But she could still sense things, she knew things about people, and could feel their pain. The telepathy hadn't completely vanished although it was it's lowest form.

There was the sound of feet and she looked down at the file. If they knew about this, they would treat her differently. She was only expected to live until twenty, which meant she had barely a year left. Beside, it spoke of her being too powerful. Would everyone fear her?

Carefully, as she saw the flashlight beams hitting the walls and top of the hole, she took the file and placed it in the water. Pushing it down with her hand until it reached the ground, she used her foot to shove it under the desk so it wouldn't float to the surface again.

"Satine!" Sawyer appeared over the edge of the hole and she looked up. "Are you hurt?"

"No," she called, her knees aching wildly. Her teeth had begun chattering. "I think this was some kind of cellar!"

"Anything interesting in there?" asked Sayid.

"No," she said quickly. "Just files."

He threw down a rope. She looked at it for a moment and had a horrible vision of being tied up. She couldn't remember where it came from, but the pain in her wrists suddenly made her gasp and look down where tiny red marks were forming on her hands and arms.

"Satine are you…"

Something erupted inside of her, this enormous wave of anger that seemed to burst out of her chest. It wasn't hers, but suddenly she could see Kate before her eyes and then there was a rumbling.

Sayid and Sawyer looked up at the ceiling which was trembling, water leaking faster down the walls. Satine looked straight ahead as something inside the cracked and crumbling wall burst and water hit her square in the face knocking her backwards. As she did, her foot caught in a grate on the floor and she fell under the water.

"Satine!"

Sawyer went to jump but Sayid grabbed his arm.

"It's filling up too fast you'll both drown," Sayid said, gripping Sawyer's arm. But Sawyer shoved him off and plunged into the water, surprised how deep it was.

Surfacing he searched the small area as Sayid pointed the flashlight all around the small cellar. Satine wasn't above the water. Diving beneath he felt around but couldn't find her.

Satine brought herself out of a daze and realized she was stuck under the water and was drowning. But as she struggled to release her foot, before her was an image that made her heart stop. Her mother stood there, her long hair floating around her head as she smiled sadly at Satine. An enormous anger and emotion welled inside her as the water kept rising.

"I'm so sorry," words that only Satine could hear in her head. "I never meant to hurt you."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Satine demanded in her mind angrily.

"You were too special. This place didn't give you power. You had it before."

Satine's eyes went wide under the water as the murkiness began to fill in and the image of her mother began to fade. She struggled hard against the grate, which held her foot and felt dizzy as an arm reached around her waist and yanked her hard up, pulling her foot free.

Sawyer surfaced and grabbed the rope that Sayid had thrown down and Sayid was able to pull Sawyer almost all the way up as he held Satine with one arm. Sayid reached down and grabbed her, pulling her up onto the floor and then reached down and grabbed Sawyer's hand.

For a moment Sawyer lay panting on his back on the floor staring up at the dripping ceiling as puddles splashed all around them. He turned and saw Satine's eyes were open and she was breathing slowly staring with hazy eyes.

"You okay?" Sawyer sat up and shook his wet hair out of his eyes before helping her sit up. Sayid continued to look into the rapidly filling hole. Satine thought of all the files and how they'd all be gone. "There was some kind of earthquake."

"Yes," Sayid looked back at Satine. "But why did you shout to let you go right before it?"

Satine looked at Sayid and then at Sawyer and finally looked down. Sawyer disregarded it and stood up, helping Satine shakily to her feet.

Sayid went ahead of them to check for more weaknesses in the floor. But they had only gotten a few feet when Satine turned to face Sawyer.

"I was here. My mother sent me here when I was one. I was here for four years and then after I'd been home a few, I came back. They used electrolysis to control my telekinesis and telepathy. She…she sent me away for money…like…like some kind of…"

She was breaking down and shivering from the cold. She was completely soaked and her hair hung around her face and her lips were trembling. He put his hands on her shoulders to steady her and she hugged him tightly.

"I can't believe she did that to me. My own mother," her words were broken because of her shivering and crying. "Now there's no one. If we're rescued I have nothing."

He wanted to tell her she had him but was that even right? Would he see her again after they were home and back to their lives, if that ever happened? He wasn't sure but he held her to him and when they parted he felt something he had tried so hard to push away in the past few days. But she was so upset and he wanted to take that from her so she would feel no pain.

Slowly he stepped back from her and looked at her. She was almost a foot shorter than him, and looked up with teary eyes, her skin pale as she shivered. For a long time they just stared at each other and then slowly he bent down and kissed her without even hesitating and he was shocked when she kissed him back.

Sayid stood at the end of the hall, not believing what he was seeing. He felt slightly disappointed and couldn't help but wish Shannon was there, as he turned and left the compound, leaving them behind.


	61. Chapter 61: On Earth as it is in Heaven

(I am trying to incorporate the recent episode into my story because number 1. I cant wait to see what happens so I'm making up my own version. and Number 2. it'll be helpful to keep my story running alongside the show character wise. There is no Henry, though.)

Sayid arrived on the beach as the glowing sun was setting over the crystal water. For a moment he stopped, and remembered a better time when he would look at that sight and be thankful to see things like that. Now he only thought of the glare in his eyes as he moved along the beach towards Hurley who was already starting to build a fire with Libby.

"Has Jack come back?" Sayid asked, his head a bit clouded.

"No, but someone said they thought they saw him go into the hatch," Libby said, standing and wiping off her knees. "I'll check the hatch for you."

"Thank you," Sayid was grateful for her kindness. She could see the weariness in his eyes as she gave him a sad smile and hurried away.

"Ask Ana if she has any more twine!" shouted Hurley after her. She waved to signal that she'd heard him and headed off.

"Are you and Libby quite serious now?" Sayid said tiredly, sitting down heavily.

"Kind of," Hurley gave a small smile as he tried to get the sticks to ignite. "It's been a few weeks now. What is that like seven years normal time because of all the free time we have here."

"It's nice. Don't take advantage of it," Sayid gave Hurley a look that told him he felt extremely guilty. "Treasure her."

Hurley, unsure of what to say, just kept trying to light the fire. Sayid sat there waiting and after fifteen minutes Libby hadn't returned.

"I'm going to go see where she went off to," Hurley said, standing and throwing down the sticks in aggravation. Suddenly a spark flew and flames erupted from the center of the pit. Hurley, surprised but relieved, bent back down to stoke the flames.

"I'll stay and watch the fire," Sayid said, realizing he was too tired to move. "Go check on Libby."

Hurley stood and headed off. He had only gotten halfway down the trail when Sawyer and Satine came from the left.

"Why are you wet?" asked Hurley, seeing both of them were drenched.

"Long story," Satine said quietly. Hurley noticed there was something about them that seemed off. They kept exchanging uncomfortable glances as though both hiding something. "Are you headed to the hatch?"

"Yeah. We hear Jack came back but we're not sure. You know these island rumors," Hurley gave them a smile and they followed him to the hatch door.

"Hey!"

All three of them jumped when Jack seemed to jump out of the trees beside the hatch door.

"I was waiting for someone to come along I didn't want to startle anyone inside," Jack said quickly, looking jumpy. He didn't have the same morose sad look he had when he'd left. It were as though he had found something. "Is Michael around?"

"I don't know," Satine looked curiously at Jack. Her mind felt something but she wasn't sure what it was. Was Jack….excited?

Hurley stepped into the hatch and they followed. It was strangely quiet and suddenly before they even turned the corner Satine knew what had happened and clutched Sawyer's arm as they turned.

Hurley was the first one to say anything but that was after they had stared for almost a complete thirty seconds without saying anything. Lying a few feet from the door was Libby, three bullet holes in her belly, blood soaking her shirt and puddling around her. Her face was pasty white and she wasn't moving. On the couch was Ana-Lucia, blood pouring from the right side of her abdomen, sitting up in an eerily relaxed way, as though sleeping. And from where they stood they could see Michael lying in the doorway of the armory, a bullet hole in his shoulder.

Slowly, as though in slow motion, Hurley walked over to Libby and bent beside her. Carefully as though she were made of glass, he lifted her limp body and held her to him.

"No," was all he said.

"Oh my god," Jack said, his voice so stunned it was shaking.

"Ana," Satine walked slowly over to the couch. "Jack, I think she's alive."

"Sawyer, go get help!" Jack ordered, rushing to the couch.

Sawyer disappeared from the hatch and Satine stared around helplessly.

"Get my bag," snapped Jack, putting one hand on Ana's wound. "GO!"

She scrambled into the other room and scanned it for his bag. There was a pile of bags in the corner and she threw several aside before she grabbed his and fumbled terribly, rushing back into the room and handing it to him. He dug into it for gauze.

"Is she dead?" she whispered.

"I don't know," Jack said quickly, his voice very high pitched as he worked to control the bleeding. "Satine, listen."

Keeping his hand on Ana's wound, her turned to her and lowered his voice.

"I know Michael is hurt but I need you to push him inside the armory and lock the door. First take the gun, and then lock him in there," Jack ordered, his eyes stern.

"Okay," she nodded, standing. "But wont he bleed to death?"

"Look what he did," Jack said, looking down at the blood soaked gauze.

Satine moved quickly over to Michael. His shoulder was bleeding badly and he was unconscious. Bending down she took the gun from his hand and placed it on the end table outside the door. Then she bent and began pulling his legs.

She got him totally inside and then moved to bend his arms so she could close the door and suddenly he gripped her wrist tightly.

She screamed, wrenching her hand away and falling out the door. Scrambling up she turned and seized the door, slamming it shut and turning the combination. Panting hard, she listened but heard nothing.

"Oh god…"

Sun had just walked into the hatch and suddenly looked very nauseated and hurried to the bathroom. Jin came in after her and just stared around.

"Sawyer!" Jack shouted even though Sawyer wasn't there. "Damnit! I have no more gauze!"

Jack was fumbling and Satine could see the fear on his face. Ana hadn't woken up and the blood kept coming.

"I can't control it. I think it hit an artery," Jack was sweating and wiped his forehead, leaving a smear of blood as he continued to work. He took off his own shirt and pressed it down hard but blood just seeped through his fingers. Ana gave a small moan and her eyes flickered open. "Oh god. She's waking up."

The first person Ana saw was Satine. Satine stared down at her, feeling the fear. It was all consuming as she stared into Ana-Lucia's eyes and it was transferred to her.

"Jack," Ana whispered, her voice shaking.

"Libby," Hurley was saying. But he wasn't saying it like before.

Satine turned and was shocked to see Libby's eyes opening.

"She's not dead!" Hurley said loudly, turning to Jack. "Help her!"

Jack looked down at Ana whose eyes were flickering, barely staying home to Libby who was looking up at Hurley. It was unbelievable. She had been shot three times, how was she still alive?

"Satine," Jack grabbed Satine's hand and pressed it on the soaked shirt. "Press hard. It won't hurt her. Just press as hard as you can."

Doing as she was told, Satine pressed hard as Jack stood and raced to Libby. Satine's view was blocked as Jack worked on Libby. Ana's eyes continued to open and close wearily but then she looked straight at Satine.

"I'm so cold," Ana's voice was barely understandable it was shaking so bad. "I'm so cold."

"It's okay," Satine reassured her, pressing even harder but feeling blood pouring through her hands. "It's going to be okay."

"You kissed him," she said.

Satine's eyes went wide.

"Where have you been?" Jack asked Sawyer as he came in.

"Trying to find people! I can't find anyone! The beach is deserted!" Sawyer said desperately, panting hard as the sweat came through his shirt. His eyes went to Satine who was staring shocked at Ana. "This is like a movie."

"Well it's not!" shouted Jack as he looked back down at Libby. Her eyes had closed again.

"I love you."

It seemed to be completely silent as everyone turned and looked down at Libby's pale, bluish face as she stared up at Hurley.

Hurley could barely breathe he was crying so hard but managed to reply.

"I love you too."

Very slowly, Libby's eyes closed and her body relaxed.

"Damn it."

"What happened?" Hurley asked. Sawyer was shocked to see tears streaming down Hurley's cheeks.

"Her heart stopped," Jack said, bending and listening to her chest.

Hurley began to cry and it was horrible to watch. It was like watching all the pain in the world center on the one person who had finally come home. Satine couldn't bear to watch as Jack tried to perform CPR on Libby.

"Where's Michael?" Sawyer said, coming over to Satine, unable to watch.

"In the armory," she whispered. Ana's eyes remained open and she was looking around terrified. "Why would he do this?"

"Have you seen Walt? They practically brain washed the kid," Sawyer said, shaking his head. "I have a feeling Michael did more than he has told us when he was out looking for him. I think he planned this."

"But he seemed so normal," Satine whispered.

"Why would he shoot them? What did it fix?" asked Sun quietly from her place in the doorway. Jin had his arm around her as they watched, Sun's face ghostly pale.

"I'm so sorry," Jack said quietly to Hurley.

"No, keep going," Hurley pleaded, the tears streaming down. "Please don't stop, please."

"She's gone," Jack whispered, moving around Libby to Hurley's side. "I'm so sorry."

"No," Hurley bent and lifted her again, hugging her to him. He began to sob even harder and the sound of it filled the hatch. It was the most painful sound in the world and everyone's hearts wrenched. Hurley held her tightly. "No, you can't."

Jack stood, grinding his teeth hard against the emotion threatening to overcome him. He still had to save Ana. Libby was gone but he could still save her.

"How're you doing?" Jack saw her eyes were open and bent beside her.

"Did you find Kate?" she said, looking almost through him.

Jack ignored her question and Satine stepped aside so he could look at the wound. The bleeding hadn't stopped and the couch was now soaked crimson. Satine moved beside Sawyer who put an arm around her shaking shoulders.

"I'll kill him."

They all turned and watched as Hurley lay Libby back down and stand up. His face looked ten years older, covered in tears and his jaw trembling. He moved towards the armory and went to turn the combination.

"No!" Sawyer hurried to the door and put a hand over the dial. "Stop."

"He's already hurt," Jack said from his place beside the couch.

"I don't care!" Hurley began pounding on the door to the armory. He stopped from the aching in his hand and turned back, walking over to Libby and lifting her frail body with barely any strain.

No body said anything as he carried her out of the room and out of the hatch. The blood remaining on the floor glistened in the fluorescent lights.

"Stay with me," Jack was saying to Ana. Satine could see him fighting back tears. "Ana, come on."

"Sawyer," Satine felt very dizzy as she looked around. Everyone was dying.

Seeing this, Sawyer took her by the arm and led her around the blood and into the other room where he sat her down. She took a few deep breaths and felt slightly better.

"Kate's dead, Libby is dead…" Satine felt like she was about to go into hysterics. "Ana is going to die."

"No she isn't," Sawyer said quietly. "I was shot and didn't die."

"I know she will," Satine began to cry. "She's going to."

"Sawyer!"

They both stood and hurried back into the main room where Jack was trying desperately to stop the bleeding which only seemed to get worse. He was crying now, although Satine supposed he didn't notice because tears were coming fast down his face and falling as he worked desperately to save her. Sawyer rushed over and tried to help, holding the shirt down while Jack tried to find his sutures and needle. But Ana had practically no color in her face.

Standing in the doorway Satine knew Ana was still alive at that moment but not for long. Suddenly all of Ana's thoughts went flying through Satine's mind like a fast forwarded movie. Her as a child, her growing up, her mother was a police officer and so was she. There was a baby, but it was gone. An unused crib lying on a curb, and gunshots ringing. There were the faces of people Satine didn't know but people Ana had loved. Ana's mother's face was prominent, and all the faces of the survivors. Satine caught glimpses of the plane crash, and Ana finally meeting up with the other survivors. A blonde girl Satine had never met, but supposed was Shannon, was there also. Her face seemed to be the most vivid image, but there was also the image of this girl lying dead on the ground, Sayid bending beside her. Guilt flooded Satine and this was what Ana saw, and finally was able to let go of.

Jack continued to fight, to work at it but Satine knew it was over. She could no longer see those pictures, see Shannon's face or hear Sayid's cries of grief. Ana-Lucia's voice faded from the air, her guilt and grief dissipated, and Satine couldn't feel her inside her head anymore. Finally after so long, Ana was at peace with what she had done.


	62. Chapter 62: Accusations

"Satine!"

Sawyer hurried after Satine as she left the hatch, leaving Jack standing motionless over Ana.

She kept walking, unable to deal with what was happening. In her mind, she could only see Libby and Ana lying dead inside the hatch. But the kiss was also haunting her, making her chest tight with fear of what he would say to her.

Yet something else was bugging her. An image that had flashed through her head in the last few moments of Ana's life.

"Stop!" he grabbed her arm and spun her around. She looked up at him fearfully. "Are you okay?"

"Why would he do that?" she broke down, starting to cry as she hugged him tightly. "I don't understand."

"When he went to find Walt, something happened. They changed him," he said quietly, his hand on her back. "I don't know why."

"No," she stepped back and looked up at him. "Sawyer…I think Jack did it and shot Michael."

Sawyer just stared at her confusedly for a moment.

"We saw him before we entered though," he said quietly, looking up and around for anyone coming. "He was outside."

"Hiding in the bushes," she said softly. "He was acting weird, like he was happy or something. I think he may have lost it."

"But why would he do it?" Sawyer suddenly felt fear growing inside him. It seemed all too plausible.

"To seem like a hero? He couldn't save Kate, so he shot them so he could save them. Now he failed again and…I don't know what he'll do. But he's going to blame it on Michael," she seemed so sure yet Sawyer couldn't help but wonder about her own sanity.

"It doesn't add up…"

There was the sound of footsteps and they both looked up to see Jack coming slowly up the trail. He was drenched in blood, his entire shirt red and caked blood going up to his elbows. Satine wondered why he hadn't showered.

"Jack?" she said quietly, causing him to look up slowly. "Are you okay?"

He didn't answer and she felt herself grip Sawyer's sleeve tightly as Jack neared. They both stepped aside a bit as he came to them.

"Michael has to stay locked up. He just murdered two innocent people," Jack said numbly, his eyes far off. "But I need Sayid to interrogate him."

"No one was at the beach when I checked," Sawyer said as Jack headed off towards the beach.

"Go check on Hurley, make sure he's okay," Jack called over his shoulder.

Looking at each other, it seemed confirmed.

After quickly changing into dry clothes, they headed back to the hatch. Jack had covered Ana in a blanket, blood soaking through in several spots. The image gave Satine a horrible flashback of her mother lying beside her in the inflatable raft. She looked away and found the puddle of blood was still on the floor.

"Where do you think Hurley went?" Satine asked quietly, just staring numbly at it all.

"I have no clue," Sawyer felt very sad all of a sudden. He hadn't been close with Ana-Lucia, nor Libby but they had helped him reach this side of the island when he'd been hurt. He had been on a very long journey with them and it just seemed like Sawyer needed to feel some remorse for it.

He was also trying very hard not to think about the fact that it could have been himself or Satine. Michael…or Jack had obviously decided to shoot whoever was in the hatch at the time. What if he or Satine had been in there? Sawyer had come so close to losing her, but never when he had cared so much about her as he did now. If it had been her instead of them Sawyer knew he would probably lose it as well.

Suddenly Satine knew exactly where Hurley was.

Leaving Sawyer alone in the hatch, she left and walked through the jungle until she reached a different beach. It was a beautiful beach with clear sand and several nice palm trees for shade. As she came out onto it she spotted Hurley sitting down closer to the water, Libby's limp body beside him. Her eyes were closed and she looked peaceful.

Satine came down the beach and sat carefully beside him on the side the body wasn't on.

"I took her here once but it was a crappy picnic," he said softly, his eyes not really focused. "We forgot everything so we just went back."

"I'm sure she appreciated it," Satine said quietly.

"Jack said we'll give them a proper burial, something Kate didn't have," Hurley turned to look at Satine. "Everyone's dying."

"We're going to find out why he did this," said Satine strongly. "I promise."

"We know who did."

For a moment Satine's heart stopped. Hurley's look was scaring her.

"Who told Michael to do this?" demanded Hurley angrily. "I'm just…tired of always losing."

As sorry as she felt for him Satine knew there was nothing more she could do. The sun was getting low in the sky and it was getting colder. She stood and looked down at him sadly.

"I'm sorry," she whispered before heading off.

She came up the beach and found most people had returned. Claire explained that they heard from Sawyer what had happened and had hid at the caves just to be safe. Satine knew that if anything serious did happen, none of them would have fought.

Sawyer was at the tent already. It had been a long day and he was lying down, exhausted. She came inside and lay beside him, sighing deeply.

"Jack said we'll bury them in the morning," Sawyer said, his voice strangely deep and mournful. "And that'll be it."

"He hasn't given up on Kate," she replied. "As much as he says he does."

Sawyer was quiet for a few moments.

"I know."

The morning came sunny and pale. There was a silence around the camp as everyone arose. News had spread quickly, yet no one knew Libby or Ana well enough to be upset. Other than Hurley, none had had a close relationship with either because they had only just arrived. They weren't there from the beginning, they were almost outsiders.

Everyone began making their way to the small hill where all the grave markers were. Sayid stood solemnly by Shannon's, his head bowed. Everyone gathered around two freshly dug holes and seeing Jack's sweaty face, Satine knew he had spent most of the night digging them. He had changed his shirt but his hands were still stained crimson.

Beside each hole lay a wrapped body. Satine was horribly reminded of her mother again and had to look away. In her heart she felt sorry for them. They didn't deserve this. Ana had killed Shannon by accident, yet had held onto it until her death. As she died she had known this was her punishment. Libby, on the other hand, had never done anything to deserve this. She wondered if this was punishment for Hurley more than Libby.

People stood around and looked at Jack expectantly. He looked numb and was shivering slightly.

"Too many senseless murders," he began, looking up at them. "There have been too many."

Everyone was quiet as though he were scolding them.

"No more accidents. No more guns. I'm taking the guns, and I mean all the guns, and that'll be it. They're going to be locked away somewhere that no one can get them. So many of us died in the crash, now more are dying pointlessly. It's ridiculous," he sounded angry and was breathing hard. "Any objections?"

It was obvious no one was going to repent giving the guns back now.

Jack bent and helped Sawyer lift Ana-Lucia's body into the hole. Then Sayid and John put Libby in the other. Satine couldn't help but cry as Jack took two handfuls of sand and stood between the graves, sprinkling it inside both.

"May they rest in peace," he said, his voice breaking.

Later in the evening of that day, Sawyer and Satine sat in Sawyer's tent silently. No one had said much that day. Jack had taken Sayid back to the hatch to begin interrogating Michael and treating Michael, finally after an entire day. It was a surprise to everyone that Michael wasn't dead.

Satine hadn't said anything but in her mind she remembered something she'd seen in Ana's thoughts. It had been Jack holding a gun, facing her. It looked like he had been in the hatch. But how could Satine be so certain to accuse him of something to terrible?

Back at the hatch, Jack had finally bandaged Michael's bleeding shoulder. Michael was unconscious from the blood loss but Jack had no compassion. He had sent Sun to find Walt, but when he had they said he was gone. Jack feared he'd seen Michael or heard what had happened and run away.

"When can we begin questioning him?" Sayid asked angrily, staring coldly down at Michael as Jack put his supplies away.

"When he's awake," Jack said stiffly. "Right now he's in shock and has lost too much blood."

"Do we care?" asked Hurley from behind them.

"We can't let him die. We have to think about Walt. But we need to find out why he did it," Jack said sensibly, leaving the armory. Sayid followed and shut the door tightly, locking it. "There has to be a reason."

"Maybe there isn't," Hurley's face was cold and emotionless. It was a terrible way to see him. "Maybe he did it to do it."

"No," Sayid seemed to agree with Jack as Jack began washing his bloody hands in the sink. "There had to be a reason."

Hurley turned away. He was staring at the dark spot on the floor where Libby had lain. They had cleaned the cement floor the best they could but the blood left a circular darker crimson ring that wouldn't go away. Hurley's eyes seemed to look right past it.

"I'm sorry," Sayid said quietly to Hurley. "I know what it's like."

Shaking his head Hurley left the hatch. Jack and Sayid watched him go and then Locke entered, looking serious.

"We have a problem," he said solemnly. "Apparently, plenty of the people believe Michael didn't do it."

"What?" Jack seemed outraged. He dropped the bloody gauze's into the sink. "Who do they think did it?"

Locke didn't say anything and just looked at Jack. Sayid seemed to catch on and looked at Jack.

"Me?" Jack's eyes went wide. "That's ridiculous."

"Where were you when it happened?" Sayid asked curiously.

"I wasn't here. I was coming back," Jack seemed to stiffen.

"From where?" Locke crossed his arms. "Where did you go?"

"I'm not the one who needs to be interrogated!" burst Jack, stepping back away from the counter. "I'm not the one who shot two of our people and then himself!"

"No, you might have just shot three of our people and pretended it was Michael," Sayid said, looking at John. "You haven't been well since Kate died."

Jack went to speak but Satine had entered the hatch. She looked pale and for a moment Jack thought she had given him a look that told him she needed to speak to him.

"Need something?" asked Locke sharply.

"I need to speak with Jack," she said quietly. "I don't feel too well."

"We have bigger problems," Sayid turned back to Jack.

"No," Jack moved around the counter towards Satine. "I'll look at you. Come on."

He took her by the arm and led her into the bedroom where he closed the door. She went and sat on the bed and he turned to face her after listening at the door for a moment.

"You believe them?" Jack asked quickly, looking nervous. "That it was me?"

"I did," she looked down at her hands in her lap. "But not anymore."

"Why?"

She shrugged and then shook her head.

"Jack, Michael is sick. They did something to him. They took Walt back because he hadn't done it fast enough so that's why he shot them," she pleaded fast, her eyes wide. "Jack, we have to get Walt back."

"What?"

But the door to the bedroom had opened and Locke came in.

"Let me see your hands," Locke strolled over to Satine.

"What? Why?"

"He couldn't have done it alone," said Sayid from the doorway.

"WHAT?" Satine stood up quickly.

"You're only accusing us because you have no one else to blame! When Michael wakes up you can ask him!" Jack said angrily, pushing Locke away from Satine. "This is ridiculous."

"I've done nothing wrong," Satine retorted.

"Why don't we ask Sawyer?" Sayid said, his eyes narrowing.

Satine's heart dropped. She didn't want anyone else to know about what had happened. She didn't know what would happen if they did but she was too young, and it was too out of the question. They'd accuse Sawyer of it and she couldn't have that.

"What is he talking about?" Jack asked.

"You need to focus on what's important!" Satine burst. "Question Michael! Wake him up!"

"I can't. He could go into cardiac arrest if I bring him back too fast from pain," Jack shook his head.

"Then risk it!" snapped Sayid.

They all marched to the armory and all stood by as Locke carefully did the combination.

The only person to enter the armory was Sayid. Jack, Satine, and Locke stood at the doorway watching as Sayid went up to Michael and without hesitation stepped on his shoulder.

Michael awoke with a roar of pain and his body actually left the ground. Satine jumped back and Jack put a hand on her shoulder.

"Did you shoot Ana and Libby?" Sayid demanded as Michael writhed in pain, his hand moving to his shoulder but Sayid's foot remained on it.

"NO!" Michael shouted, screaming in agony. "STOP!"

"DID YOU SHOOT THEM?" Sayid shouted into Michael's face, pressing harder.

"Stop!" Jack demanded. "You'll send him into shock again!"

"No!" Michael was screaming and Satine stepped even farther back, covering her ears. She could see his pain, it was white hot and flashing. But she could also see the gun in his hand, Ana's face as it hit her, Libby's shocked expression as Michael spun in shock. Libby had been an accident but Ana hadn't been.

"STOP!" Satine screamed, still backing up. "PLEASE!"

"JACK! IT WAS JACK!" Michael bellowed.

Jack walked forward to stop Sayid but Locke shoved him back. Sayid gave one last twist of his foot before Michael seemed to pass out from the pain and then Sayid left the armory and shut the door.

"He didn't do it," Sayid said angrily.

"Yes he did!" Satine screamed, the cries of agony still raging through her head. "He did! But Libby wasn't meant to die!"

She was crying and turned and ran from the hatch. Jack went to follow her but Sayid and Locke went to stop him.

Satine reached the beach and stopped. There was a huge rush of people around Sawyer's tent. Wiping her face, Satine rushed to the tent, her heart thudding.

"Get your mangy paws off my stuff!" Sawyer was shouting trying to keep everyone away.

"Give us the guns!" Charlie demanded.

"I don't have your god damn guns!" shouted Sawyer. "If you don't step off I'll start swinging!"

"Jack can't take them all. We need them for protection!" Claire cried, holding Aaron to her.

Satine pushed her way through and Sawyer almost went to push her but saw who she was and pulled her in behind him.

"They want the friggin guns because Jack threatened to take them all," he snapped. "But they all think Jack did it!"

"So do Locke and Sayid. They're starting their whole escapade of being in charge again and I think they're going to lock Jack up," she hissed to him from behind him as everyone continued to argue around his tent. "Everything is falling apart."

"Nice observation, sweetcheeks," he said, shaking his head. "This is going to be bad."

"Give them to us," Charlie said angrily one more time.

"Over my dead body," Sawyer growled back, almost face to face with him.

Someone shoved Charlie who fell into Sawyer, knocking them both into the side of the tent. There was a great surge and Satine was pushed aside into the sand as everyone stormed Sawyer's tent, digging around for the guns.

"STOP!"

But someone had found them.


	63. Chapter 63: Redemption

Sawyer seized Satine and tossed her as hard as he could out the other end of the tent as the rush towards them began buckling the tent. He went flying out after her as the sound of the guns being pulled out of their hiding place filled the air. The scraping of the metal that covered the hole was screeching and the shouts terrified Satine.

"LET GO!" shouted Charlie, falling backwards with a rifle in his hands. As he fell he fumbled with it and it fired.

Everyone froze, waiting to hear a cry of pain from someone. But no one had been hit. This seemed to unfreeze them and they continued to tear at the tightly packed guns lying in the sandy hole. Sawyer sat on the sand and watched as his tent was thrown aside and everyone received a gun. Reaching around to his waist, he knew only a few of them were loaded and most of these idiots wouldn't know how to load them anyway.

Sawyer was about to pull the gun from his belt when Satine put a hand on his wrist, seeing what he was doing.

"Just wait," she whispered.

Almost on cue Jack came out of the jungle, his arms still caked with dirt and some dried blood. He looked pale and exhausted, sweat soaking through his white shirt, so it stuck to his chest. He came up the beach, not really seeing what was going on until he saw Charlie standing with the rifle.

"What is this?" he demanded, dropping the shovel. The dirt and blood on his arms and his weary face seemed magnified as his face contorted to rage. "WHAT IS THIS?"

Jack looked over and saw Sawyer and Satine still down on the sand, and the torn apart tent lying a few feet away from twenty of the survivors all clutching guns and boxes of bullets confusedly.

"I can't believe this," Jack looked overwhelmed, almost like he didn't know whether to cry or scream. "We just buried two of our own. Another one is shot. We've had too many people die of gunshots on this island and we're fighting over guns?"

"We need protection!" shouted Charlie angrily. He seemed to be the leader of this mob. He had a firm grip on his rifle. "We can't trust anyone!"

"And handing everyone a gun is the answer? Has anyone here ever even held a gun?" Jack looked enraged. "I still have their blood on my hands!"

He was shouting, and tears were falling down his face. He felt like he'd just buried Kate. The blood on his arms, the dirt and grime all over him, it were as if he'd just put her in the ground instead of Ana-Lucia. He hadn't seen Kate and was terrified he was forgetting what she looked like, what she sounded like. He wasn't sure how much longer he could stay together.

"When we're rescued, do you really want almost half the number that survived the plane crash to be going home? What do we tell their families? WHAT DO WE SAY?" Jack shouted at them, his hands trembling. Satine could feel his pain and tears were running down her face without her even realizing.

"If you want to go on shooting everyone, go ahead!" he said, his voice breaking as tears continued to streak his dirty face. "But don't expect me to save your life."

For a moment no one moved. Everyone held the guns awkwardly. Sawyer had a strange grip on Satine's arm as though afraid that if she stood she'd be shot on the spot. Jack remained where he was, his chest heaving.

Slowly, Charlie lowered his gun and placed it on the sand. One by one, everyone behind him did the same. Satine and Sawyer stood, brushing off the sand.

"Sawyer," Jack looked over at him. "Put the guns back where they were."

"Shouldn't we hide them or something?" Sawyer asked carefully, eyeing the entire group.

"No. I don't think we'll have that problem anymore."

Jack turned and started heading towards the path back to the hatch. He had just come from there but didn't care that he would go back and stand where he had watched Ana and Libby die. Satine felt something strange, something uncertain and hurried after him, leaving Sawyer to gather the guns.

"Jack," she called as he walked in long strides along the path. She was a lot shorter than him and had to jog to keep up. "Jack."

"What?" he asked coldly, not slowing down.

"What is it?" she asked curiously.

"What is what?"

"Something is wrong," she said hurriedly.

"Of course something's wrong. Ana and Libby are dead. I haven't seen Hurley since the funeral, I'm afraid of what he might do. Everything is wrong," he shook his head as he entered the door to the hatch with Satine on his heels.

"Please, talk to me," she begged. Something was definitely not right, though. She knew it. She could feel it. "Jack."

When she touched his arm to hold him back an image of Kate lying in a hole, her arm burnt badly, her face bleeding came flashing into Satine's mind. Closing her eyes she felt the pain of the burn on her own arm and screamed, jumping back, the image fading.

Jack just stared at her.

"Now you know what's wrong," he said quietly.

Sawyer had finished putting all the guns in the hole but somehow felt he was putting back less than were taken out. They all listened to Jack but he knew Charlie would not give up so easily. Everyone had dispersed but Charlie had hung around and tried to help Sawyer pick up the bullets that had fallen out of the boxes.

"I can do it," Sawyer snapped, grabbing a rifle from Charlie. "Just go."

"I want to help, mate," Charlie said quietly as Sawyer put the large piece of metal over the hole again. "I feel bad."

"Yeah, for trashing my tent," snapped Sawyer, grabbing the poles but knowing he'd need new tarp. "You just better hope there is enough tarp to fix it."

"I think we have some extra in the hatch," Charlie said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Or you could just stay in there."

"No," Sawyer had a terrible image of Ana-Lucia lying dead on the couch and he shuddered. "I wouldn't stay down there."

Without another word Charlie headed off. Sawyer was grateful as he fixed the blanket over the metal but now it was just a blanket on the sand. His clothes and stash were lying in the sand. He hurried around trying to fix it.

"Sawyer!"

He turned and saw Satine rushing towards him.

"Listen to me I can only say it once," she gasped, very out of breath. She had a bag on her back and a flashlight in her hand. "Jack wants me to go with him to find Kate. She's not dead. But he doesn't want you coming. I need you to follow us."

"Kate's dead. I don't know where he gets…"

"Listen!" she pleaded, holding onto his arm. "He's going with or without me and he wants me to come because I can talk to Alex. I need to know that you'll be there. We can't do it alone and he won't let you come."

She looked terrified and he didn't know how to say no. He put up a finger and rushed to the blanket, ripping it off and pulling up the metal and lifting out a pistol. He checked the hole and then reached back in and grabbed a few bullets.

"Take this," he said, turning her around and sticking it in her back pocket, covering it with the bag. He turned her back around and handed her the bullets, which she put in her front pockets. "You'll need it."

"You'll be there, right?" she whispered. "Promise?"

He nodded and bent and gave her a hug. The image of the kiss came back into his mind and he closed his eyes for a moment and tried to rid himself of it. When he let go of her, she turned to walk away but stopped.

"We're heading north. He wants to go back to the Black Rock. Start off from the hatch in about five minutes you'll be able to follow our flashlights once it gets dark soon. Just…" she looked down. "Don't leave me alone with him."

Sawyer could understand how afraid of Jack she was, they all were. Ever since Kate had been gone, he'd never been the same. For a while he'd been okay and now Ana and Libby's deaths seem to weigh heavily upon him. Sawyer gave Satine one last hug and then let her go off.

As she disappeared he turned and began shoving things in a bag. The first thing he grabbed was his own gun which he'd been hiding in a different spot in his stash. He was lucky no one had picked it up because it was fully loaded. He shoved it in his belt and then grabbed his empty water bottle. He would have to fix his tent when he returned. He looked sadly down at the messy stuff, knowing much of it would be gone when he got back. Those damn scavengers, he thought angrily.

Jogging up the beach he came to the water trough and filled his bottle. Once it was filled he shoved it in a bag that he slung on his back with a flashlight and some rope. He wasn't sure why he thought he'd need the rope, but he supposed it couldn't hurt to bring it.

Just about ready he looked at the sun which was almost completely down. It would be hard to follow them but he'd have to be quick and stealthy. He remembered Ana-Lucia following him without him even knowing. She had been good at it. He could use her just about now.

"Hey," said a voice behind him.

Coming up the beach were Sayid and John both looking serious. Oh great, Sawyer thought angrily, the two wise men.

"Where are you off to?" Sayid asked, seeing Sawyer's bag.

"None of your business," snapped Sawyer, hiking up the bag and being careful to cover the gun. "Sorry, did I forget to fill out a permission slip?"

"Sayid told me about you and Satine," John said seriously, crossing his arms. "What is that about?"

"What is what?" but Sawyer's heart had begun to pound hard. He hoped they couldn't tell that he'd started to sweat. "I don't have time for this."

"She's a girl. Leave her be," Sayid demanded.

"Okay, and you 'leave me be'," mocked Sawyer angrily, turning away.

"We're not joking. You're too old," John scolded. "I don't know what you're saying to her but she's easily manipulated, she's lost her mother."

"You think I'm manipulating her?" Sawyer shouted. He saw the sun was almost completely down and he knew he'd have to run to catch up, but his blood was boiling. "And I suppose you haven't manipulated anyone?"

"There will be consequences from now on," Sayid said firmly, looking at Sawyer with a death glare. "Too many people have died. We need laws."

"And who will make up these laws? You, Saddam?"

Sayid's eyes flared with rage.

"Those who see fit. And if these laws aren't followed, there will be punishment," John retorted, seeing Sayid's anger.

"Oh, don't put me in time out!" Sawyer called over his shoulder, turning around.

"No, but we can put her in one."

Sawyer tried to ignore it as he continued away. He hoped they didn't notice as he picked up his pace once he reached the darkening trail. At the hatch he turned north and took off, sprinting through the woods. Satine would have turned on her flashlight to signal him. He didn't see any sign of them for a few minutes. His mind was racing with what Locke and Sayid had said. How could he be punished for something like that? It's not like he took advantage of her. It just happened.

Suddenly Sawyer skidded to a halt. Up ahead were two bobbing flashlights and voices. It was definitely Jack and Satine. Sawyer settled into a slow stride, careful not to make any noise as he listened closely.

"You didn't have to come. Sawyer is going to wonder where you are," Jack said in a strangely calm voice.

"It's okay. I told him I was going with you to find a leak in a pipe," she said carefully, because she was not very good at lying.

"You saw it, didn't you?" Jack asked. He sounded very sullen. "You saw what I did?"

"Yes," she whispered. "But Jack, honestly, it could be anything. It could be from the past. Maybe…maybe it already happened and she's gone."

"You said Alex can communicate with you and others," he said forcefully. "I think this was Alex showing me that Kate isn't dead."

"I felt Alex. I felt her burns and her injuries. But it went away because I think she died, Jack," insisted Satine. "I think they both died."

"I don't," he shook his head, moving forward with more determination. "I did before, but then Ana and Libby died. Ana said something to me. She said something that made me think different."

"What did she say?" asked Satine remembering how Ana had known she had kissed Sawyer.

"She said Kate wont rest. Just like that. 'Kate won't rest'. I think it means she refuses to die," he seemed so sure but his eyes showed doubt. The dark jungle surrounded them and Satine felt nervous and moved closer to Jack. "I know she's still alive."

"And what do we do when we find her and the Others are there?" demanded Satine.

"I didn't ask you to come. I said you could because you could help to find them by talking to Alex. If you want to go back…"

"No! I don't, I want to help. But I'm trying to make you see reason. Just the two of us against all the Others is too much. Besides I think they know about Ana and Libby," she said carefully.

"Why?"

"Because no one has seen Walt since it happened. We think he went back to them," she whispered, looking around with her flashlight. "He's gone."

"Then we'll rescue Walt too," Jack said.

"Delusions of grandeur," sighed Sawyer as he followed, listening to the conversation.

"Sayid and John were talking about you and Sawyer," Jack said a few moments later, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Satine said quickly and Sawyer's stomach knotted.

"They seem to think he's gone too far with you. You two are close," Jack pointed out.

"You were close with Alex," she replied.

Jack quieted, remembering that it was possible Alex was dead. He had a connection with her that he didn't know about. He wondered if it was possible that they'd met before.

"I don't think anything's wrong there but Sayid and Locke have taken on the responsibilities of lords. They think they're going to run the camp," Jack said flatly.

"Well, you did for a while I guess they want a turn," she shrugged.

"I guess so."

Jack's voice trailed off as they came into the clearing where the Black Rock was, a dark mass among the moving trees in the darkness. The night sky silhouetted the tall masts and a large shadow from the moon swept over them.

In the small hole in the hull where they had entered before, was a glowing light.


	64. Chapter 64: The Other Others

(two days earlier)

Kate could see it before it happened. When the bomb went off all she saw was a brilliant flash of light and then she could smell the hair on her arms singeing and felt as though the skin on her arm was melting off before she was crashing into the water, suddenly unable to breathe.

When she surfaced there was fire everywhere. Looking around she saw nothing but falling debris. There was no pain in her yet, as she was too much in shock.

"JACK!" she screamed desperately, hoping he was somewhere nearby. Her mind was whirling she couldn't remember which way the boat had been facing. The remains of it were raining from the sky and she heard shouts but didn't know where they were coming from.

Turning as she tread water, she saw someone swimming towards her. In fear she saw it was one of the men from the boat. Suddenly she knew it had all been planned. Turning towards where she supposed the beach was she swam as hard as she could but found her right arm had limited use. It were as though it were numb. Looking down she saw it was burnt and now that she'd seen it, the pain erupted from it and she let out a cry as she struggled to swim but found herself drowning.

Someone had grabbed her around the waist and was pulling her up. At the surface she gulped in air and feeling weak, let whoever it was dragging her pull her along. The water was cold but calmer now and was more soothing than scary. She seemed to be losing consciousness from the pain and could only barely see the outlines of the flames on the remaining pieces of the boat. Whoever had her was swimming slowly and when she felt sand she struggled to stand but fell.

"Do you have her?" shouted a voice. Kate opened her eyes and saw the sky was light blue and the sun seemed to be rising. Above her was one of the men from the boat, one that was bald with piercing green eyes. Now that she looked, she saw his beard was gone, as though he'd suddenly shaved it…or removed it.

"Yeah," said another man. Kate sat up a bit and saw another one of the men, one who had also rid of his beard, dragging an unconscious Alex up from the water. Alex's pant leg was burnt away revealing a horribly burnt leg, which Kate knew would cause her extreme pain when she awoke. "Man, didn't see that one coming."

"It doesn't matter. We need to get back to camp," said the bald one, looking down at her. "You going to walk, princess or would you rather me knock you out and carry you?"

Kate could barely register that they were talking to her. Her arm was aching, partially numb from the salt water but she knew it would hurt later. Carefully she tried to stand. The bald man took her injured arm and she cried out, pulling away.

"Didn't she say she wanted them unharmed?" asked the other one who still had a hold on Alex's two hands. "What's she going to say when she sees them beat up like this?"

"It doesn't matter. If she has the kid, we're fine," said the bald one. "Let's go."

Out of his back pocket he pulled a pistol which he pointed at Kate. Without a word she turned towards where they were facing and began walking.

It all seemed fuzzy but she was beginning to remember what had happened. It had all been a trap and Alex knew it. She was going to stop them but it was too late. So she'd detonated one of the bombs. Kate remembered Sayid being stabbed, and prayed someone had gotten him out of the water. Then there was Jack. She could see him from the shore, standing there as though waiting. In her mind she saw him there and suddenly she wondered if she'd ever see him again.

She knew they needed Alex but what use was Kate to them? She was terrified, knowing that once they realized she wasn't who they needed they'd kill her.

As they walked she was able to sneak looks at Alex. She was badly burned, and her head was bleeding. Kate knew Alex had been almost on top of the explosion when it had happened. It was a miracle she had survived. But Alex needed to get to Jack to get help or she could die.

Stumbling Kate almost fell but the bald man caught hold of her. She ripped her arm from his grip and his eyes narrowed.

"You going to be a problem?" he asked harshly as she stood there, staring at them.

Without even letting her answer he hit her with the butt of his gun, knocking her unconscious.

(present)

Hurley sat motionlessly on the couch, staring at the dark spot of blood on the floor where Libby had been. Eko had cleaned up most of the blood, but it had stained the floor.

"Hey!" shouted a voice from inside the armory. "Hey, let me out!"

Hurley looked up at the door without any emotion. There were footsteps in the hall and Locke and Sayid entered. When they saw Hurley on the couch they both avoided his gaze.

"Somebody! I'm hurt!" shouted Michael's voice.

"He's awake," Sayid said, hurrying to the door.

"Wait!" Locke put a hand over the dial as Sayid went to turn it. "We can't let him out until Jack gets back."

"Why?" Sayid asked angrily. "He is not in charge."

"No, but he's the doctor," Locke explained. "If Michael comes out, he's going to be in a lot of pain and…"

"That's why we must let him out so we can question him while he's in this state," Sayid said, pushing Locke's hand away.

"Yeah, let him out," Hurley said, standing up.

Sayid and John both paused, looking at Hurley for a moment. He was pale and nervous looking. He had helped bury Libby and Ana so his shirt was soaked with sweat and his hands filthy. But he looked determined.

Carefully Sayid opened the door. Michael was sitting on the floor of the armory, one hand over the bullet wound in his shoulder.

"Help me!" Michael cried, his face contorted in pain. "I was shot!"

None of them spoke, just looking down at him. Hurley moved to stand in front of the door.

"We need to ask you a few questions," Sayid said firmly, bending in front of Michael.

"Where's Jack?" Michael demanded fearfully. "WHERE IS HE?"

"He's not here," John said, his arms crossed as he blocked the doorway so Hurley had to look over his shoulder.

"Why'd you do it man?" asked Hurley suddenly. "Why'd you shoot her?"

"What?" Michael let out a groan of pain and he looked sick. "Who? Who got shot?"

"Who sent you to kill them?" asked Sayid firmly, turning Michael's head to face him. "WHO?"

"I didn't shoot anyone!" Michael shouted. Sweat poured down his face. "Jack shot me!"

"What?" John stepped further inside. "What did you say?"

"It was Jack! He said something about doing it for Kate and then shot me!" cried Michael. "Where's Walt? Is he okay?"

"You're saying Jack shot Ana and Libby and then you?" Sayid demanded.

"Yes! I came in after hearing the gunshots. But Ana was already dead. I saw Jack and he backed me into the armory and then shot me!" Michael began coughing and was having trouble breathing. "You have to lock him up!"

Sayid turned and looked at John.

"Why should we believe you? We found you with the gun beside you," Sayid said harshly. He placed a hand on Michael's injured shoulder and gently squeezed. "Tell us the truth."

"Arrrghh!" Michael screamed in pain and Hurley jumped back.

"Stop!" Hurley shouted over Michael's yells.

"Admit it!" Sayid screamed at Michael.

"STOP MAN!" belted Hurley, pushing past Locke. "Seriously!"

Sayid let go and Michael fell back onto the floor of the armory, breathing heavily and holding his arm. He looked close to passing out. Sayid stood, wiping the blood off his hands.

"Where is Jack?" Sayid said calmly.

"Jack went off with Satine. They said they were looking for a leaky pipe," Hurley said, looking extremely sick. "But Sawyer followed them."

"He's going after Kate," John said.

"Kate is dead," Hurley said confusedly.

"Jack won't believe it. He killed Ana and Libby to justify his actions. He wanted us to believe it was Michael so he could have a head start. Now he has Satine with him, he will kill her when he realizes Kate really is dead," Sayid looked back at Michael who had passed out again. "Help him onto the bed. I need to start after them before they get too far."

"It's the middle of the night you'll never find them," John insisted as Sayid started for the exit.

"Watch me."

(2 days ago)

Kate awoke when she felt herself falling. She realized she was thrown into a deep pit in the ground. Looking up she watched as Alex was pushed in after her, landing beside her with a painful cry. Alex had awoken and was writhing in pain, barely conscious through it. Looking up Kate saw the bald man's face before a heavy piece of metal was slammed down over the hole closing out almost all light.

"Alex," Kate tried to grab her but she was crawling frantically, her gasps shallow. "Alex, stop."

"Help me," Alex whimpered, turning over onto her back and putting a hand down to her burnt leg. Kate could see where the flesh was almost completely gone. "Please."

"It's okay," Kate moved over and pulled Alex to her. Alex seemed to calm and then lost consciousness again. Remaining there, Kate sat with one arm around Alex.

It was almost three hours before the lid was lifted again. Alex slowly awoke and looked up along with Kate at the bright sunlight streaming in.

"Get the girl," said a harsh voice.

"No!" Alex screamed as two men jumped into the hole. Kate was shocked to see they were dressed in lab coats. Each seized one of Alex's arms.

"Let her go!" Kate jumped up, but one of them hit her hard across the face and she fell back.

"Kate! No! Let me go!" Alex screamed in both pain and fear as they lifted her from the hole and she disappeared.

"Alex!" Kate shouted but there was only the slamming of the metal and the sound of footsteps leading away.

Painfully she clutched her arm and fell back, sitting down on the dirt. Closing her eyes she tried to see Jack. His face was so clear, standing on that beach watching her go. She remembered the sorrow in his eyes as she pleaded with him to let her stay. Why couldn't she have stayed?

She ended up falling asleep, and awoke later in the night. She had no idea how many hours it had been. Standing, she stretched, feeling very sore and realizing exactly how bruised up she was. Her entire back was killing her. Her burnt arm was throbbing with excruciating pain and she bit her lip to keep her eyes from watering.

"Hello!" she called up. "Is anyone there?"

Waiting, there was no one. Sighing, she knew they probably hadn't set anyone to watch the hole since she was injured and couldn't get out anyway. She was about to sit back down where there were footsteps and the lid came off.

"Yes?" said a deep voice she didn't recognize.

"I'm hurt," she called up, only seeing the shadow of someone. "I need a doctor."

"How badly?" asked the voice, and Kate realized it sounded womanly.

"I'm burnt pretty bad and I think I broke a rib," she said, trying to inflict, if it was possible even more pain into her voice.

The woman seemed to ponder this and then left for a moment with the top off the hole. When she returned, the top was moved completely off and two people jumped down into the hole. One was a very strong looking man with bright blue eyes and blonde hair that looked almost too perfect for a deserted island. The other was a woman with a hard stony face and piercing eyes that looked almost evil.

"If you fight us we'll leave you down here," said the woman in a harsh tone. It was the woman who had opened the top. "If you run we'll shoot you."

Kate nodded and let them help her up and out of the hole. At the top she looked around realizing that she could easily run off but knew they probably had lookouts ready to shoot. She waited as they climbed out behind her and each flanked her.

They were walking down a path that ended at the edge of a clearing. They were on the bank of a hillside, and along the bottom ran almost a long row of tents and t-pees all surrounding two large metal doors set into the hillside. The people outside the tents looked rough and rugged, their clothes the plain khaki color of any of the Others they had seen before. Kate stared around in shock as she saw people of all ages, even small children standing around looking filthy and grimy.

They came to the metal doors and the two guards parted, opening the doors. Inside Kate stared down a long lit hallway into the hillside. They walked with her down it and she realized she was in air-conditioning. She hadn't felt it in a long time and was marveling at it as they reached a turn.

Down this hallway were long windows on each side. As they started Kate looked on each side but most of the rooms where empty. They were only small cubicles barely four feet wide and five feet deep. But then there were people in each. Some had long white gowns on and others wore nothing. They were walking like zombies, their eyes wide and blank and their movements stiff. Kate's heart began to pound as they reached the end and went through two doors and into a large room.

This room was different. It had a hospital bed in the middle with several IV stands around it. There were computers on each wall, and different X-Rays and scans on the lighted boards. Many instruments hung on one of the walls, and then there were large metal cabinets with the Dharma logo on the front and large locks in place. Kate was lead carefully to the bed and helped onto it.

"We'll be right back," said the woman, turning and leaving. The man followed and closed the door behind himself, locking it.


	65. Chapter 65: The Cell

(flashback)

When Kate awoke, she lay for a few moments concentrating. All she remembered was being taken into a room. Then she remembered looking around and suddenly she'd felt faint. Perhaps they had drugged her without her even knowing, although she wasn't sure how that was possible. Maybe there was some gas in the room, or as they were walking there they'd given her something. But she couldn't specifically remember.

Carefully she opened her eyes against a bright white light. There was cold tile floor beneath her. Stiffly she sat up, feeling how bruised her body was. But looking down she saw there was a bandage on her arm, and it didn't hurt as bad. She was still wearing her clothes but over her shirt she wore some kind of gown. She tore it off quickly, pushing it aside and only then did she see where she was.

She was in one of the four by five feet cubicles they had passed. She stood up and looked around. On each side of her were clear glass walls separating the many rooms in the hall. Straight ahead was split wall with the top half of glass and the bottom half of stone. It was freezing in here, and there seemed to be no way in or out.

Kate began to panic, her heart pounding in her chest. How was this possible, how did she get in here? Looking around she walked to each wall and pushed but nothing happened. Her breath came in short gasps, as she was feeling claustrophobic. Her breath echoed around, and she looked up seeing the glass walls reached the low ceiling. No air, she thought desperately. But then she saw the smallest of vents in the ceiling.

Looking to her left she tried to see into the next cubicle. It seemed to be empty. She slid down the glass wall and held her knees to her. Only when someone's face appeared in the glass behind her did she scream and jump back.

A woman who looked about Kate's age was in the next cubicle, her short brown hair messy as though it hadn't been combed in days. She wore the same white gown that they had put on Kate, but the woman's was dirty and wrinkled and torn in some placed. Kate watched as the woman pressed both hands against the glass.

"Jack please," Kate whispered, backing up against the opposite wall and closing her eyes. "Please save me."

(end flashback)

"Jack wait!" Satine gripped his arm fearfully. "If we just run in there, they could just shoot us. We need to make sure we know exactly how many there are."

"I have a gun, I'll be fine," he said, his eyes slightly wild. Satine turned to look for Sawyer and saw a shadow in the jungle and she gave him a pleading look before following Jack.

Sawyer knew Jack was being selfish running into some kind of dangerous situation. Stupid doctors think they know everything, he thought bitterly as he watched Jack and Satine walk slowly into the hull of the giant ship.

Satine stayed close behind Jack, her hand on the gun in her belt. She didn't want Jack knowing she had it but if she needed it she was ready. Her heart raced in her throat as she crept behind him as they stepped into the hull. Chains and racks hung around them, bones of rodents and leaves crackled under their feet. The glow was becoming brighter as they moved forward and could see it was coming from further inside.

"Don't move."

Both of them froze.

"I can't believe Jack would kill Libby and Ana, though," Hurley said as he did his best to help Michael into the bed. "I just…can't see it."

"People do crazy things for people they love," Michael said, looking down.

"I wish I had gone with Sayid," Hurley sighed. "I'd love to see Jack's face when we tell him we know the whole truth."

"You can still catch up he only left a few minutes ago," said Michael hopefully, not making eye contact with Hurley. "If you bring a flashlight you can signal him to wait."

Hurley seemed to ponder this for a moment, wondering why Michael would seem so eager to have Hurley gone. Then he thought of Libby, and their picnic, and how Jack so selfishly stole that all from him. Jack was always about doing what he thought was best. Maybe it was time everyone else taught him the right thing.

"Okay," Hurley put down the towels and peroxide. "I will."

"Good for you, man," Michael nodded. "Now hurry, Sayid is fast."

Hurley nodded and hurried from the hatch. When he heard the door close, Michael slowly pulled a small piece of paper from his pocket. Using the pencil on the table he slowly scratched off Hurley's name. Now the only name left was Sawyers.

(flashback)

Kate opened her eyes. It seemed she only slept for short intervals of a half-hour each time she closed her eyes. Nothing had happened since she'd been left in here. It felt like almost three days she'd been in here. She had no perception of time except how hungry she was becoming and how thirsty she was. The woman in the next cubicle had walked around talking to herself, although it had to be sound proof because all Kate could hear was her own breathing. After several hours of walking the woman had laid down and hadn't moved again.

Occasionally someone would walk by the window in the hall. Kate at first had tried shouting to them and then, realizing it was futile, resigned herself to sitting by the wall. In her mind she would die here, because they were using Alex for whatever they needed and now they would leave Kate to starve.

After what she guessed was a few hours, a strange alarm was going off. Since the room was sound proof, it was hard to make out but it was a definite ringing. And in the hallway there was a flashing light. People ran by holding piles of papers. It were as though they were evacuating. Kate, feeling too weak to stand, watched as the people ran by frantically.

Without any warning, the walls of her cell began to rise. Kate scrambled to stand, feeling very dizzy and weak. There were only two other people in the cubicles at the end, and they were both lying against the wall, just watching as the walls went up.

At the very end of what had now become a long room was a door that led to the hallway. It had been cut off but now Kate had access to it as the walls continued to rise. They kept going up until they suddenly stopped.

She ran full speed towards the door and as she did the walls started coming back down. Her breath was caught in her throat as she sprinted and threw herself at the door just as the walls came back down quickly and hit the floor with a thud.

She exploded into the hallway and several people in official looking blue uniforms rushed passed her, almost knocking her over. The alarm was a loud ringing that pulsated through the hall and turning she went through the doorway and into a hall she'd never been in. It had many doors on each side and all were open, people scrambling in and out. There were fires, smoke filling the air. People were burning things, documents.

"The cells were almost deactivated," said one of the taller men, stopping in the hall and grabbing a fellow worker. Kate pressed herself against the wall as to not be seen. "I think one got out."

"Not the plane crash survivor?" the woman he had stopped gasped. "Did you tell the boss?"

"No. We were going to gas them all anyway. She'll just get caught in the mayhem. Forget it," the man shook his head. "Do you have the girl?"

"She's in a containment cell on the west end. We'll move her last. She's a handful," the woman sounded breathless. "I hate this. We've moved twice now. We only have four locations left."

"I know but after this move we can finish our job," the man gave the woman a quick hug. "See you later. Good luck."

Kate held her breath as the woman rushed by. Looking up at a sign she saw that to her left was an exit sign and the right was a "North Cafeteria" and then a "West Gym". Kate knew she couldn't leave Alex here. They were evacuating because they were afraid of being discovered, but by who? If Jack and the survivors found this place why not just kill them? Or was something bigger going on here?

Not having time to think about it, Kate took off down a quieter hallway, racing past closed doors and through double doors with Caution signs on them. She skidded to a stop outside a door that read "Restricted Access Only: Dangerous Prisoners."

Opening the door she stepped inside a darker hall that was similar to the one she'd been trapped near. This one had glass on each side as well but the cells were darker, lit only by smaller lights above. All of them looked empty as she strolled slowly by. Her heart was racing as she slowly walked, her footsteps echoing around her. Carefully she looked left and right but saw no one.

A hand slammed against the glass and Kate screamed, jumping back. Alex stood with both hands on the glass, her eyes wide.

"Alex!" Kate put her hand on the glass. "Can you hear me?"

Alex shook her head confusedly, looking around frantically. The alarm was in here too but lower. Behind Alex was even darker than the other cells. She was wearing one of those gowns, and she looked lethargic and she was only leaning on one leg, the other heavily bandaged.

"Get me out!" mouthed Alex. Kate nodded.

"I'll come right back!" she mouthed back to Alex. Alex's frightened eyes scared Kate beyond anything as she hurried down to the end of the hall and through the door.

(end flashback)

"Sawyer," Satine breathed.

"You're about to step on something that will blow this boat up," Sawyer said, standing four feet behind them. "If you move the wrong way, it'll blow."

"What are you doing here?" demanded Jack angrily, turning to face Sawyer.

"I SAID DON'T MOVE!" Sawyer barked and Jack quieted. "Now, Satine, move your left foot slowly and turn towards me."

Satine did as she was told, turning carefully and stepping with her left foot behind her. Jack was peering into the glow, desperate to see if anyone was in there. But it seemed to be coming from a bright lantern that was out of sight behind the next wall. Along the floor now he saw were wires running around the wall to what Jack expected were explosives.

"It's a trap," Jack whispered. "They wanted us to come here."

"Either that or these slaves knew something about explosives," Sawyer said as Satine slowly walked towards him. She reached him and he pulled her to him. "Okay, doc. Whatever you do don't walk forward."

"Is anyone there!" Jack shouted towards the glow.

"What are you doing?" Satine gasped.

"What if she's here?" asked Jack desperately, trying to peer without moving his feet.

"Doc, you'll kill us all!" Sawyer shouted angrily.

"Please!" Satine pleaded. "Come on!"

Jack sighed. If Kate was here she would have answered. Turning around he walked carefully to Sawyer.

"Jackass," Sawyer muttered as they slowly made their way to the opening.

Satine froze.

"What?" Sawyer asked, turning back. "Satine?"

"Alex just died," she whispered, her hand over her heart. "She just died."

"Sayid!" Hurley shouted, hurrying through the jungle with his flashlight. He was headed in the same direction he was sure Sayid had gone. He breathed heavily as he ran, peering into the darkness ahead of his flashlight beam hoping to see another dot of light in the black surrounding him. "SAYID!"

He stopped, breathing harshly. Looking around he realized he'd never catch up to Sayid. Maybe Michael had sent him to get rid of him. Hurley looked around, suddenly scared. He realized something.

"Hurley?"

Sayid appeared out of the jungle and Hurley jumped in fright.

"What are you doing?" Sayid asked confusedly.

"Dude, I think Michael is planning something," Hurley burst. "I just realized it. He tried to get rid of…"

"I'm way ahead of you. We need to get back. Quickly," Sayid took off running towards the direction of the hatch and Hurley followed at a jog.

"I'll catch up!" he puffed.

(flashback)

Kate found herself in a large storage room of boxes. Against the wall were some heavy metal folding chairs. Grabbing one she dragged it back to the door and pulled it open, back into the hallway. She found Alex's cell and gripped the chair.

"Back up," she said, motioning for Alex to move away from the glass.

Picking it up she swung it hard, squinting her eyes waiting for the glass to shatter. Alex had jumped back and covered her face. But the metal chair collided with the glass and bounced off, sending Kate falling back into the wall painfully. Kate looked unbelievably at the chair and the glass and then tried again. It only bounced off as though the glass were shatterproof.

Behind the glass Kate could see tears running down Alex's face.

"I'll get you out!" Kate shouted, knowing Alex couldn't hear her.

There has to be some kind of control room around here somewhere, she thought desperately. Just as she was about to try the chair again, the door at the end of the hall opened.

The light spilled in and for a moment Kate was illuminated and then it was dark again.

"Is someone down here?" called a feminine voice.

"Yes!" Kate shouted, suddenly getting an idea. Alex's eyes were wide with fright. "Please! Help me!"

Footsteps hurried forward. Kate remembered seeing some of the employees carried guns. Thankfully she saw this woman had one holstered on her hip. She seemed to be one of the security guards here.

"Please help. We need to get this patient out," Kate said, pointing at Alex.

"Um, she is under special observation she isn't supposed to be released," the woman said confusedly, her blonde hair shimmering in the dark. "Who are you?"

"I'm one of the staff but I've been injured in the mayhem. We need to get her out, the evacuation is almost complete," Kate said, hoping she was a good liar. She remembered Jack telling her she was but it hadn't been for a good reason.

"I think you should come with me," the woman said, going for her gun.

Kate gave the woman a hard punch to the face, sending her sprawling back onto the hallway floor. Kate got down and ripped the gun from the holster, pointing it at the woman's face as she went to sit up.

"Take me to where I can open this cell," Kate demanded, holding the gun to the woman's face. "Now!"


	66. Chapter 66: Fallen Angel

I'll probably finish up this story some time next week possibly sooner. After the Lost finale airs, I'm going to want to continue whatever cliffhanger they leave us with. I've tried, in the past few chapters, to try to parallel the story on the show just to keep it a little more real, while giving it my own twist. But all stories must come to an end, so some time near the finale it will end. I'll be starting a new story. If you like the character of Satine, I was thinking of including her in my new story but introducing her in a different way possibly as one of the others. But then again, sometimes OC's aren't very popular. Anyway, let me know what you think about her character and whether she should play a part in the next story I write. Thanks for reading and reviewing keep it up it's awesome. -Mo

(flashback: Kate)

"Take me," she ordered to the woman who had climbed slowly to her feet. Kate held the gun straight out at the woman's face. "Hurry!"

"By the time we get there…"

"NOW!" Kate bellowed, causing the woman to jump. She had looked over at Alex and saw she was now sitting against the wall looking weak.

Turning, the woman hurried down the hall with Kate on her heels. They reached the door and Kate brought the gun down behind the woman so no one would see as they slipped out.

She led Kate down a long hall, with no windows, just plain white walls. It was terribly claustrophobic and somewhere in the underground area it sounded like there was drilling.

"What is this?" Kate demanded as they went through door after door.

"We run tests," was all the woman said as she went down hall after hall.

"What did you do to her?" asked Kate.

"She's weak from the testing. She didn't do as well as we'd hoped," the woman stopped outside a closed door. "She won't make it."

"Shut up and open the door," Kate snapped as the woman fumbled with a set of keys on her waist. Unlocking the door, they entered what looked like a control room with many switches and televisions monitoring the different cells. Most of them were empty but Alex's was in plain site.

"Open the walls," Kate ordered. "Do it."

"If I do that, the oxygen level will drop," the woman seemed strangely calm. "And the girl will most certainly die. There is one hundred percent oxygen in there and it might be the only thing keeping her alive."

Kate's heart raced as she looked from the woman to the panel and then to the monitor showing Alex slumped weakly against the glass wall. She wasn't a doctor, she couldn't save Alex the way Jack could. But if she could get Alex out and back to Jack maybe they had a chance. All Kate knew was that they couldn't stay here or they'd both die.

"Do it," Kate breathed, her breath coming in short gasps. The gun wasn't even raised anymore it was at her side.

Without hesitation the woman stepped forward and pressed several buttons and switches. Kate watched the monitor as the glass wall behind Alex slid up and when it was above her she slumped to the floor motionless. Kate's stomach dropped as she watched a monitor inside the screen that said 'O2 Level' drop rapidly.

"I recommend you hurry," the woman said quietly. "There isn't much time before this place closes."

"Why are you guys evacuating?" Kate raised the gun again. "What's happening?"

"Your friend will die…"

"Answer me! What did you do with Walt when you took him? What happened to Satine and Alex? Do you ruin people, do you torture them?" Kate was barely breathing. "TELL ME!"

"We are a research facility," the woman seemed to not notice the gun and spoke calmly to Kate over it. "We specialize in parapsychilogical phenomena and telekinesis studies. We have many different branches," the woman seemed to realize she'd said too much. "I do recommend you hurry. We have less than a minute."

Kate looked up at the monitors and saw one by one they were turning off. The power was shutting down. Giving the woman one last look Kate spun on her heel and dashed out the door and down hallway after hallway, smashing through doors and pushing past people, barely noticing where she was going until she skidded to a stop in the hall she'd been in before except there was now an open doorway to the cells.

(end flashback)

"What do you mean she just died?" demanded Jack.

"I mean she died," Satine suddenly gasped and closed her eyes in pain. "Oh my god. It's Kate."

"WHAT?" Jack almost shouted.

"She's there, with Alex. We have to get there," Satine looked up at them. "Follow me."

She took off through the dark jungle with her flashlight in hand, never having more sense of direction than she did now. She dodged around trees and down embankments with more energy than she'd had even before she arrived on the island. She had such a specific idea of where they were, such a clear idea of what had happened that she knew if she did this it would lead them to Kate and Alex.

Sawyer and Jack tried desperately to keep up which was difficult because neither were as small and deft as Satine. When they reached the bottom of a larger hill they both stopped, panting. Satine was almost halfway up and saw they had stopped and came skidding down.

"What?" she demanded.

"Just a second," Sawyer leaned over, panting. "You're fast."

"Oh," Satine suddenly didn't look good. "Oh no."

"What?" Jack demanded, still breathless.

"Don't make a sound."

"Sayid?" Charlie had been walking on the path to the hatch when he saw Sayid fly by. He turned and watched him disappear down the path. "Dude, what the…"

"Hey man," Michael appeared out of nowhere sending Charlie jumping into the air in fright.

"Whoa! How about not sneaking up on me in the jungle like that," Charlie put a hand to his heart.

"Listen, I need you to do something for me. Go back to the hatch and tell me if anyone's in there," Michael was looking around nervously.

"Sure man, but…"

"Please just do it," Michael looked desperate. "It's about Walt."

Charlie nodded, not about to go against a man and his love for his boy. As Charlie walked away Michael reached into his pocket and pulled out the revolver.

(flashback catching up with current time: kate)

"Alex," Kate flew through the door and across the long room with the walls pulled up into the ceiling. She knelt beside Alex who was pale and lethargic looking.

"Go," Alex said, opening her eyes. "Just go."

"No," Kate bent and put one of Alex's arms around her neck and lifted her to her feet. "We have to get out of here."

Kate supported Alex across the room and through the doorway. She headed down the opposite way and through a door into an empty corridor. The alarm had stopped and it seemed everyone was out by now. But there was a strange clicking and banging in what seemed to be the pipes. Something wasn't right.

"Kate," Alex mumbled. "Go faster."

Kate heard the urgency in Alex's voice and hurried as fast as she could, supporting the barely conscious Alex as she went. Behind her were voices and she knew they would see her and try to stop her. She knew their secret, and Alex was their biggest one. Kate practically ran, dragging Alex along side of her with one arm around Alex's waist. They reached a turn and went down it only to find a dead end.

"Hey!" a voice called.

"No," Kate breathed, her breath painful in her chest. She burst through a door and found herself in some kind of kitchen. Putting Alex down for a moment she looked around and found a long broom and stuck it through the doorhandles, jamming them. Spinning around she saw the kitchen was mostly dark except for a high window that was big enough to fit through. Moonlight poured through it.

"Alex, come on," Kate bent and lifted Alex her back straining and all her muscles screaming in protest. She dragged Alex to the window.

"I've done this before," Alex mumbled, barely coherent.

"Okay, well do it again for me," Kate jumped up onto the counter and pulled Alex up with her. There was banging on the door and Kate's heart was beating so hard she could barely breathe. Reaching up with one hand, holding onto Alex with the other she unlatched the window and punched it open, breaking the frame and sending it flying.

How she was going to get Alex through this window she didn't know but she had to try. She figured she could get herself through then drag Alex through. But what if Alex slipped back down? Frustrated, the noise outside the door getting louder, Kate decided to try to push Alex through first.

"They're in here!" shouted a voice and there was the sound of pounding and the broom rattled between the doorhandles.

Her urgency increased as she lifted Alex headfirst through the window. It was ground level so as she pushed, leaves and dirt poured in through the window. She had gotten Alex halfway out when a kick cracked the broom, almost opening the door. Using all the energy she could, Kate shoved Alex completely out and then launched herself up and out of the window in one jump, pulling herself up along the dirt.

Her entire body was aching, her muscles almost out of energy but she couldn't stop now. In the darkness people were fleeing into the jungle, all headed one way. Kate bent and pulled Alex up, putting her arm around her neck again and supporting her as she ran the opposite way, around the hill that hid the underground compound and into the dense jungle.

She ran as far as her legs would take her and then stopped. It was silent and she had gotten far enough away from the compound. Slowly she lay Alex down on the earth and sat beside her.

"We did it," Kate whispered, laying down beside Alex. Her entire body was shaking and she was dizzy. "We're okay."

Looking over she saw Alex's eyes were open, looking around fearfully. Kate sat up and looked down at her and realized she had stopped breathing. Slowly Alex's eyes closed.

"No," Kate breathed, getting to her knees and putting both hands on Alex's chest. "No, no no. We've come too far. You cant!"

Bending, she pressed her ear to Alex's heart. There was nothing.

"NO!" Kate shouted, tears sprouting from her eyes, her voice breaking with emotion. "You can't do this to me!"

Lifting her fists she brought them down squarely on Alex's chest. She repeated doing this and then blew into Alex's mouth. She did everything Jack had done, everything he had taught her to do.

This isn't fair, she pleaded inside her mind as she continued going. She worked so hard, Alex had gone through too much to give up now. It wasn't fair that the people who had raised her had killed her before even giving her a chance to live. Why would they do this, take her from her mother and then kill her?

None of it made sense to Kate as she continued beating on Alex's chest and trying as hard as she could, although her body had given up, Kate's spirit kept going.

"Satine!" Jack could see Satine's flashlight bobbing in the darkness ahead. "Wait for us!"

"Freaking kid should be an Olympic runner," panted Sawyer beside Jack as they jogged along.

"Come on!" Satine shouted behind her, stopping.

Kate stopped, looking down at Alex's face in the moonlight that shone through the heavy canopy, moving and dancing around the ground as the wind blew. She looked peaceful, as though this had come after a long time of waiting.

"I'm so sorry," Kate whispered, taking Alex's hand. She was so dizzy, so weak and could barely see through her exhaustion. "I am so sorry I couldn't save you."

Closing her eyes, Kate held back tears. She hadn't known Alex long, but she knew that for what she had struggled through this wasn't what she deserved. She had helped Kate to see the truth and now it was over.

"I'm sorry," said Kate again. She had lain back down beside Alex, one hand still holding the girl's beside her. "I'm so sorry."

Kate's eyes closed and she stopped fighting her exhaustion.

"Satine wait…"

Jack had stopped running and Sawyer stopped almost a second later.

Slowly Jack walked through the jungle towards what looked like a small patch of moonlight shining through the canopy. He stepped over brush and grass as though in slow motion and came upon Kate and Alex both lying on the ground looking like pale angels that had fallen from the sky, both with their eyes closed.

Satine came up behind them, having run too far. She stared down at them, her eyes wide in shock. Sawyer reached over and took Satine's hand.

Slowly, Jack knelt beside Kate. He took her hand in his and for a moment Satine and Sawyer didn't breathe. Then slowly Kate's eyes opened and she looked up at Jack.

She didn't say anything and he didn't either. She just carefully sat up and hugged him tightly, a hug he was so thankful he could experience again that he would have given up anything to have it. All the breath seemed to escape his body as he hugged her, and when they parted she looked down at Alex.

"She's gone," Kate whispered, tears streaming down her face. "They killed her."

Jack stood and helped Kate wavering to her feet. She was weak and leaned heavily on Jack. Slowly Sawyer stepped forward and bent to lift Alex's body, holding it gently as though she were only asleep. Satine stood there, tears in her eyes, watching them.

"Let's go home," Jack said, his arm around Kate.


	67. Chapter 67: The Gift

Charlie stopped. As he had walked away from Michael, he could have sworn he heard the click of a gun. He didn't stop walking but very carefully turned his head.

Michael's eyes snapped up. When he saw Charlie's gaze looking right at the gun, he raised it.

"BLIMEY MATE!" Charlie bellowed, ducking as the bullet barely missed him.

Turning around, Charlie dashed down the path, hearing Michael's heavy footsteps behind him. What was going on, why was Michael shooting at him? Michael ran awkwardly in his sling and bandaged shoulder. Charlie sprinted down the path, waiting for a bullet to hit him in the back.

He flew around a turn and towards the entrance to the hatch. He prayed Jack or someone was inside and would help him and possibly have a gun. In his head he remembered all the guns were at Sawyer's tent, but it was too late to turn towards the beach.

Stumbling into the hatch, Charlie turned and was about to slam the hatch door closed when a hand gripped his shirt collar roughly from behind and threw him against the opposite wall.

His head collided painfully with the cement wall and he slid down dazedly, his vision slightly blurred.

"What the…" he was looking up at several people dressed in khaki clothing.

Someone sent a sharp kick to his head that knocked him out.

Jack looked over at Kate who now walked carefully beside him. She looked thinner and paler, but the same. She was filthy and her arms were scratched and the knee on her pants was torn away revealing cuts on both knees. She didn't hurry along and watched carefully where she was stepping as though falling meant not getting back up.

Sawyer walked ahead of them all with Alex in his arms. She wasn't heavy but she had that weight that a dead body carried. It was like the person was gone, and it was nothing but material left. Satine strode close behind Sawyer, her eyes staring in a daze at Alex's hanging limp hand.

"We have to tell her mother," Kate said suddenly as they walked, her eyes remaining far off but her voice steady. "We have to find Danielle."

"We will. She was out looking for her as well. It'll be okay," Jack went to move closer to her and she held up a hand, continuing on.

"What killed her?" Satine whispered, falling into step beside Kate.

"The tests. They did too much to her, she couldn't take it," Kate looked over at Satine, her eyes more focused. "It was too much."

"Let's just get back," Sawyer grunted, continuing to walk in long strides as to not trip. He didn't look down At Alex's cold pale face, but he felt how cold she was getting in his arms. She only wore a thin white gown that reached almost to her feet. His gaze fell to her arm which had many bruises on it, most likely from needles. There were round red marks on her neck and chest. Sawyer tried hard not to imagine what tests were performed on her and whether they were performed on Walt.

"Did you see Walt?" Sawyer asked Kate without turning around.

"No," Kate looked confused. "Why?"

"He went missing after Ana…"

Jack stopped, realizing Kate didn't know that Ana and Libby were dead. Satine had turned and given Jack a look as though to say now was not the time.

"When what?" Kate saw the look between them. "What happened?"

"Ana-Lucia and Libby both died," Satine said gently as they continued in the darkness, only Satine's flashlight leading them. "Michael shot them."

As she said it, she remembered the rumors about Jack doing it. Her heart did a little flutter as Jack looked over at her with a peculiar expression.

"They're dead?" whispered Kate, wavering slightly. Jack caught her arm and she stopped for a moment, eyes closed as though to push away the dizziness. "Why would he shoot them?"

"We don't know. We think maybe the Others said if he killed them he'd get Walt back? I don't know," Jack looked up ahead at Sawyer. "But we've had him locked up."

They were approaching the hatch quickly. Satine's stomach suddenly felt weird. She stopped walking and Kate and Jack almost collided with her.

"What is it?" Jack asked, seeing Satine's face.

"Something is wrong," Satine stared straight ahead. Her insides were going crazy and in her head she heard someone yelling. "Michael…."

"Did he get out?" Jack demanded. Sawyer had stopped and turned to face them. Alex looked like she was simply sleeping in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder, her arm across her middle. In the pale moonlight they all looked eerie and ghost like.

"No, I…." Satine shook her head. "It might just be everything that just happened is delayed. Maybe it's just hitting me."

Jack nodded but didn't look certain as they continued on. The light inside the door of the hatch was visible and Sawyer aimed for it, his right arm cramping up. He refused to look down at Alex again but his eyes kept being drawn to her face, and how sad and peaceful it looked.

"Remember when I got stabbed with that stuff, that stuff that almost made you bury me alive?" Sawyer said, looking over at Jack. "Do you think maybe…"

"She's dead, Sawyer," Jack whispered quietly as they came up to the door of the hatch. "I'm sorry."

Sawyer sighed and stepped inside. The long hallway to the main area was deserted. Satine's heart was fluttering again and she couldn't understand why.

"Jack," Satine gripped his arm.

There was a loud slam and the door to the outside crashed shut, the bolt turning. All of them spun to face the dark outline of someone wearing a white sling and holding a gun out towards them.

"Michael?" Kate gasped.

"Move!" Michael shouted, the gun pointed at them. He was walking slowly towards them. His eyes fell on Alex. "Is she okay?"

"She's dead," Sawyer growled.

Michael seemed to ignore this and moved faster towards them, backing them all up to the end of the hallway where they entered the main living area.

On the floor by the counter lying unconscious was Charlie, a large cut on the side of his face. Standing across the middle of the room, blocking any of the other doorways were the two men that had dragged Alex and Kate to the shore, and a group of Others she didn't recognize. They were dressed in their khaki clothing and some of them were cut and bruised. Most were tall burly men with a few women in between. Overall there looked to be about twenty of them, all standing at attention, their faces emotionless.

"What is this?" Jack demanded.

"Sawyer!" the bald man had seized Satine and reached to grab the gun from her belt. He tore it out and looked at it, keeping one large arm around her neck. She pulled with her hands but he tightened, causing her to choke.

Slowly Sawyer moved to put Alex down on the couch.

"DON'T MOVE!" shouted one of them.

Sawyer ignored this threat and carefully laid Alex down. He took a moment to fix her arms over her middle so she looked as though she were taking a nap. He gave her one last sad look and straightened up, moving back to stand beside Jack.

"Is she dead?" demanded the bald man holding Satine. He looked over at Alex with wide eyes. "IS SHE?"

"Yes," Jack said confidently, seeing the worry on all of their faces.

"You failed us!" shouted the other man, the one who had pulled Alex onto the shore. He looked at Michael who stood at the side of the group, his gun raised. "You said you'd have them all alive!"

"How was I supposed to know they'd kill her?" Michael bellowed back.

"How?" asked the bald man, as Satine continued to choke for air.

"She died from the tests," Kate said, her voice trembling but her gaze firm. "It killed her."

"The tests?" the bald man shook his head. "God damn it."

"Give me Walt," Michael's voice was trembling.

"We said if you did as we asked you would get your son back," said one of the women at the front of the group. She was a slender black woman with a kerchief around her head and wide staring eyes. "You failed us."

"No I didn't! You guys killed her! That wasn't my fault! I did as you asked, I killed two people, more than you asked, just to get them to go!" Michael was pleading now.

"You killed Ana and Libby for them?" bellowed Jack, his eyes wide. "YOU DID IT FOR THEM?"

"For Walt!" Michael screamed back. "They took him again!"

"He wasn't there!" Kate insisted, her hands trembling. "He wasn't even there!"

"WHERE IS HE?" Michael suddenly pointed the gun at the Others.

"Michael, you have failed," said the slender black woman. "Even if we wanted to give you Walt back we couldn't."

"What?" Michael's eyes were obscured by tears. He wiped them quickly, the gun pointed at them, his hand shaking terribly.

"We didn't take Walt. He saw what you did, he watched you kill those two women. You turned him against yourself," she spoke slowly and stepped closer to Michael, who was crying. "He came back to us because he was scared of you. You failed at being a father."

"NO!" Michael's hand was shaking so bad he almost dropped the gun. Jack had gripped Kate's arm and was pulling her slowly back. Sawyer's eyes were on Satine who wasn't suffocating but was having a hard time breathing with the large arm around her neck. "No, I did it for Walt! Walt! Where is he?"

"He doesn't love you anymore. You've proven what you are," the woman continued.

"STOP!" Kate shouted, Jack holding her back.

"WHERE. IS. WALT?" Michael demanded, the gun right in the slender woman's face.

"Right here."

Slowly they all turned to face the entrance to the computer room. Slowly, a tall man lead Walt up the hall and into the living area where they stopped.

"Walt," Michael went to go forward and he received a blow to his head, sending him falling to the ground.

"DAD!" Walt went towards his father but the man holding him gripped his arm.

"Only you can save your father," said the thin woman, walking over to stand beside Walt as one at a time the Others kicked and beat Michael. "Only you can stop this!"

"Walt!" Michael shouted as he got a kick to the side, sending him rolling. The gun was kicked aside as they began punching him, and he wasn't unconscious yet because after each hit he raised his head slightly, small grunts escaping him.

"STOP! DAD!" Walt was struggling, the man now holding him around the waist.

"You know what to do!" the slender woman bellowed over the sounds. Kate was sobbing into Jack's chest and the man who had Satine had loosened his grip, still holding her but watching with a grin.

Walt stopped struggling and the man holding him let go. Very slowly, Walt walked around the outside of the room, through the kitchen and around to the couch.

"Get away from her!" Sawyer shouted, going to go towards Walt.

"No," Jack grabbed Sawyer's arm.

Walt reached the couch and stood over Alex. He looked over at his father who now lay motionless and bleeding on the ground, barely conscious. They had stopped hitting him and now all eyes were on Walt.

"You know what to do, Walt," the woman said. "Do it, and you can stay with your father. You can go home."

Walt's eyes remained on his father and then went back to Alex. Carefully he knelt, placing both hands on Alex's face. Kate was gripping Jack so hard it almost hurt. Sawyer could barely breathe, his chest heaving.

"Remember what you learned," the slender woman spoke from across the room but in the silence she could have been beside Walt. "Concentrate. Use your gifts."

"I can't," Walt said quietly, tears running down his face. "She's dead."

"She hasn't been dead long," the woman encouraged, her eyes wide with greed. "You can bring her back."

"You're all nuts," Jack shook his head.

There were sounds coming from the hall. People had realized the door was locked and that something was wrong. Jack prayed no one would come in at the wrong time.

"She's dead," Walt whispered, passing one hand over Alex's heart. "She has to stay dead."

"What have we taught you?" the woman shouted angrily and Walt jumped, turning to look at her.

"She's dead," Walt stood back up and faced them. "She isn't supposed to come back!"

"DO IT!" shouted one of them, striding over the Michael and holding the gun to his head. "NOW!"

Walt turned around and bent beside Alex. Everyone was silent and no one moved. Even Satine stopped fighting against the arm around her neck, transfixed.

"Walt," whispered Michael, barely audible as he groaned in pain.

Closing his eyes Walt placed his hand on Alex's chest, remained there for almost ten seconds and then stood, facing them.

"Thank you," the slender woman said quietly. "You may go."

Walt leapt over the coffee table and ran to his father, bending beside him.

In a flash the bald man had let go of Satine, sending her falling to the ground. Sawyer hurried forward and helped her up, pulling her to him.

The bald man walked over to the couch and bent over Alex. Then he carefully lifted her in his arms. Everyone watched as he walked with Alex past them. Sawyer's eyes went to Alex's face and he could have sworn it was brighter, the color in her face had returned.

Slowly they watched as the bald men walked with Alex in his arms out into the hallway. The Others followed in single file, all throwing glances at Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Satine as they passed. They watched them walk down the hall and out the hatch door, into the dark jungle.

Turning around, Satine saw Michael had sat up, his face bloody and bruised.

Jack spun around, his chest heaving. He was shaking his head and suddenly stormed towards Michael.

"You."

"NO! JACK!"


	68. Chapter 68: Reassurance

Sawyer went to grab Jack's arm as he went towards Michael but missed and Jack reached Michael, who shoved Walt away. He remained on the floor, still bloody and bruised and didn't even go to block it as Jack punched him hard.

"JACK!" Satine ran forward but Jack had swung again and he hit her by accident, sending her falling to the ground.

"HEY!" Sawyer went forward and gave Jack a hard shove, sending him falling over one of the chairs and onto the floor. Turning around he helped Satine up who was holding her cheek where she'd been hit.

"Dad," Walt had knelt by his father again.

"He killed Ana and Libby," Jack panted, standing up again. "He did it for them."

"I didn't mean to kill Libby," Michael breathed heavily through a bloody nose. He was still sitting on the floor but had one arm around Walt. "She was an accident."

"You still did it," Kate whispered.

"They said I had to do it to or they wouldn't give me Walt," Michael looked down at his son. "I didn't know they didn't have him."

"You murdered your own. We all would have helped you get Walt back, we were all trying and you refused to let us help. You didn't have to become a murderer!" Jack shouted angrily.

"You have Kate back, that's what you wanted. But how did it feel not knowing where she was, whether she was alive?" Michael bellowed, Walt helping him to his feet. "I had to protect my own and you had to do the same."

"We didn't kill anyone," retorted Kate.

"Alex looked pretty dead to me," Michael snapped.

"They killed her," growled Sawyer, his arm around Satine who still held her face. "Don't you dare accuse anyone of killing that kid."

"Who is going to tell her mother?" Satine asked, walking over to Charlie who was beginning to wake up.

No one spoke. Satine helped Charlie to stand, he face feeling as though it were ballooning up.

"You bastard," Charlie said, wiping the blood from his mouth. He was glaring at Michael.

"It's over," whispered Jack. He was looking down. "It's done."

"No it's not," Satine erupted, turning away from Charlie who was sitting on the couch holding his head. "We have to find Alex."

"She's dead," Sawyer said gently. He looked weary and beaten.

"Walt, what did you do?" Jack turned to the boy standing beside his father. "What did she want you to do?"

Walt didn't speak and just looked down. Michael tightened his grip on his son but Jack walked forward.

"What were you trying to do?" Jack asked gently.

(flashback)

"Now Walt," said the slender woman that Walt knew as Mrs. Klugh. "I want you to do just as we practiced."

"I can't," he said tiredly. He hadn't seen his father in over four weeks. He was exhausted and drained from the constant drilling. "Please let me sleep."

"Sleep deprives you of concentration. Now, place your hand on the dog."

Walt looked down at the dead dog on the table. It was some kind of poodle and had that stiff look that told you it wasn't alive. He remembered Vincent and his heart fell.

"Remember last time you tried?" she asked him, sitting across from him at a square metal table in a large room with nothing but large mirrors on the walls.

"It moved," he whispered, transfixed on the dog's open eyes. They were glassy and black, like a shark's eyes. "But it died."

"Yes, but it moved," she said, cocking her head. She had large eyes that made Walt feel very uncomfortable. "Now, I want you to try that again."

"But I got sick last time," he said in a whine. "It made me throw up and pass out."

"Yes but this time we gave you something to stop that. I promise there wont be side effects," she said in her sweetest voice that still sounded cold.

Sighing, Walt placed his hand over where he supposed the dog's heart was. He hated this, the concentration made his head spin and then he'd always end up with welts on his hands. Closing his eyes he concentrated.

He pictured the dog's heart, shaped almost like a sponge, he could see it in his mind's eye. He could see the arteries and the blood drying in the veins. Pushing with his mind he close the fingers on his hands and in his mind could see the imprints of his fingers on the heart as though his hand were squeezing it. Carefully he concentrated, feeling warmth spreading from his palm out towards his fingers and arm. In his mind's eye he could see the heart getting pinker, and suddenly he felt it jump beneath his fingers and the blood began to flow.

Walt was yanked from this and almost fell out of his chair in his weakness. He panted, his head spinning as someone straightened him out and he looked down at the dog.

It looked the same except it's eyes were no longer glassy. They were moving, looking around. Walt's eyes widened but then the dog seemed to stiffen again and there was the sound of it struggling to breathe, and he could hear the heartbeat slow and finally stop.

"It's alright," said Mrs. Klugh, seeing Walt's fallen face. "You did it. And it worked better this time. It takes practice."

Walt nodded but in his mind all he could think of was seeing his father again.

(end flashback)

"Walt?" Jack repeated.

"I didn't do anything. I pretended," he said quickly, pulling himself back to reality.

"Listen, can we not? We know she's dead, there's nothing to do about that. I don't know why they'd want her body but it's not important. We can't fight for a body," said Jack quietly. "Let's just handle right now."

"How can you say that?" Kate said in a voice so low they almost didn't hear it. They all turned to her, where she stood by the door with her arms crossed delicately and her face pale and hurt. "She suffered so much…and now can't even rest in death."

"Kate, if we try anything else more of us will die," Jack said carefully, walking over to her. He put his hands on her shoulders and it was full hitting him that she was back. "It'll be okay."

"You weren't there," she snapped, pushing his hands away. "You have no idea."

Turning on her heel she stormed from the hatch, opening the door loudly and letting it swing behind her. She hurried past Sayid and Hurley who had been waiting outside the entrance. Sayid came rushing in and stopped with his gun pointed at Michael.

"You're a little late," Sawyer sighed, sitting down on one of the stools at the counter. He put his head down in his arms and sighed tiredly.

"It's over," Jack said, his voice shaking slightly. He was so glad Kate was back but knew it wouldn't be easy to get through to her after all of this.

"Alex?" Sayid asked, looking around.

"She didn't make it," Satine whispered, sitting beside Charlie on the couch.

No one knew what to do from there. Jack went into one of the rooms in the hatch and didn't come out again. Sawyer had sat with his head down for a while before standing and looking to Satine to follow him. She stood, giving Charlie's hand a squeeze before she followed him from the hatch, leaving Michael and Walt sitting alone after Charlie had left.

"Do we lock him up?" Satine asked quietly as they walked the long path to the beach. It was getting lighter out since the sun was rising. "What do we do with Michael?"

"I don't think there's anything," Sawyer said, his voice hoarse from exhaustion. "He did it to save his boy. Walt's fine now, he won't do it again."

"He tried to blame it on Jack," Satine said, sounding slightly bitter.

"It's over, kid," Sawyer said sadly, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be okay."

Jack opened the door from the bedroom and came out. Michael and Walt were gone and the room was empty. He was about to leave when he heard shuffling and saw Kate standing at the doorway to the computer room.

"Locke made me come back here. He said you should look at my arm," she said quietly, her eyes on the floor.

Sitting her down at the table he had her lay her arm out. She removed her jacket and Jack winced when he saw how badly burnt it had been. But it had been treated and although the gauze had fallen off in her struggling to escape, it was healing okay. Jack used what he had and rewrapped it after cleaning it. She gritted her teeth the entire time until he was done and she went to stand.

"Wait," Jack said, causing her to pause. "Can we talk?"

She slowly sat back down and put her hands together. She looked upset, uncomfortable, anything but okay. Jack felt so incredibly guilty about Alex he didn't know what to do.

"What happened?" he asked her quietly.

"What do you mean?" she asked softly.

"The boat exploded," he said, shaking his head. "You were on it, how did you get out? Why didn't you swim to shore?"

"I was hurt," she began but suddenly her throat seemed obstructed. She took a deep breath. "I thought they were going to kill me."

"We all thought you were dead," he said flatly.

Kate looked up at him and her eyes were shining. Her jaw was firm although her eyes showed that she was ready to fall apart.

"Alex was all they wanted and in the end they lost her. They were trying so hard to keep her alive. But the tests killed her. And they were evacuating…"

"Evacuating?" he interrupted.

"Yeah because I think they thought they were about to be discovered or something. And they were going to move her last. Maybe if I had left her in there she would have lived," Kate's voice was trembling and tears fell into her lap. "I just couldn't leave her behind."

"You did what you could," he said, reaching across the table and taking her hand. "It was a hard situation."

"She lived here, right? So why did they want to test her? Why didn't they do this before she left them? I don't get it, it doesn't make sense to me," she shook her head, wiping her face quickly. "And I heard Satine's name so many times."

"She was there. Her mother sent her there when she was a child," Jack informed Kate, sighing. "She found out."

"They wanted her almost as badly as they wanted Alex but I think they settled for one. I don't even understand why they kept me and didn't kill me," she looked up at Jack. "They didn't need me."

"You don't have to talk about this right now," he said quietly, seeing that she looked as though she were becoming hysterical.

"Alex didn't do anything wrong. She never even really lived because she was taken from her mother. And her mother, we have to tell Danielle," Kate looked around as though expecting to see Danielle walk out of the other room. "We have to make sure she knows."

"We'll tell her," Jack comforted her carefully.

"I just wanted to come back here," she began to sob and Jack suddenly didn't know what to do. "I didn't even care if we were stuck on this island forever. I just wanted to come back here. Isn't that crazy? We've been stuck here in this weird hatch and I just wanted to get back here."

"You know everyone here," he said carefully, unsure of what else to say. "It's not unnatural…"

"She shouldn't have died," Kate sobbed openly, her hands laid out on the table as though helpless. "It wasn't fair."

"It wasn't," he said, moving around the booth until he was beside her. "It wasn't fair."

She began to sob harder and leaned into him. He put his arms around her and let her cry. Jack blinked many times, holding back tears of both happiness and desperation. She was back, and she was alive. But he knew what had happened to her would never leave her.

At the beach, Sawyer and Satine lay side by side in their tent, staring at the canvas. As tired as hey both were, neither slept. Satine watched, as the top of the tent grew lighter as morning approached. When the sun was almost completely up, she sat up.

"I can't sleep," she said quietly.

"Me either," said Sawyer in a deep husky voice, still lying down.

"Sawyer," Satine turned and looked at him.

"Yeah, kid?" he sat up, seeing her confusion.

"She's dead right?"

Sawyer looked at Satine's face in the pale light of the morning, the redness of the soon to come bruise on her cheek and her weary eyes with lines under them that never faded. He always felt like she needed more, like she was never at her best. Now he saw her at a point he never wanted to see anyone.

"Yeah kid," he put a hand on her shoulder. "Yeah, she's dead."


	69. Chapter 69: Fight Back

Jack hadn't slept. He'd spent most of the early morning hours pacing the hatch, thinking over everything that had happened. Kate had decided to sleep in the side bedroom and only came out when Jack had walked by her room for the twelfth time.

"Jack," Kate came out looking tired. "Are you going to sleep at all?"

Jack shook his head and went over to the counter.

"Something isn't right," he said quietly.

Satine turned over. She had finally drifted off and then someone walking by the tent had bumped into the canvas, waking her again. Looking at Sawyer she saw he was still asleep. Sighing, she closed her eyes and tried to fall back to sleep.

Suddenly, someone grasped Satine's ankles tightly and yanked her with enormous strength from the tent. She had reached out and grasped Sawyer's arm, her nails scratching him.

"SAWYER!"

Someone hit her hard over the head and she collapsed to the sand. Sawyer, disoriented, sat up only to be bombarded with his own tent, which had collapsed down on him. He struggled to get out of it, falling out onto the sand.

"Help! Somebody help me!"

Claire's screams were suddenly silenced and Sawyer looked up in time to see her fall to the sand, someone wearing khaki clothes standing over her with Aaron in his arms.

Scrambling to his feet Sawyer took off towards the person who took off into the trees. Stopping at Claire, Sawyer turned her over but she was out cold. Looking up at more screams, he saw that the tents within the camp were on fire, burning vividly against the bright blue sky of the morning. People were running, screaming while others lay unconscious on the ground. The Others were attacking, racing after the fleeing survivors holding torches and clubs. The beach was scattered with people fighting for their lives, and being knocked out and thrown down by the merciless strangers in khaki clothing. Sawyer stood in shock, frozen to the spot as up and down the beach the flames and screams echoed as the survivors were overpowered.

Suddenly Sawyer realized Satine was gone. Flying down the beach past his tent he stood on the beach, the mayhem around him. There had to be over one hundred khaki clothed Others, chasing survivors and setting fire to the tents all along the beach. It was as though strategically placed beacons were burning all down the beach. Sawyer spotted Jin carrying an unconscious Sun into the jungle, away from the mayhem.

"SATINE!" Sawyer shouted, praying she was hiding.

Someone pushed past him and he spun around and caught one of them by the collar. Swinging a punch he knocked him out as another grabbed his fist. Sawyer spun this one to the ground and gave him a hard kick to the head.

Kate looked up as Jin came into the hatch, carrying Sun.

"WHAT HAPPENED?" Kate exclaimed.

But Jin just began rambling in Korean, pointing towards the beach. Jack and Kate exchanged a glance before racing towards the exit, flying out into the jungle only to be stopped by the rush of survivors racing back towards the hatch in hear.

"What's going on?" Jack demanded.

"We're under attack!" Hurley shouted as he hurried by.

Jack looked at Kate and reached into his belt, pulling out a gun. She looked at him wide mouthed, not about to ask him why he kept one but the others were forced to give theirs up.

Taking off towards the beach they smelled the smoke and saw the flames before they saw anything else. Sawyer was still fighting them off, trying to keep them from setting fire to the remaining tents, which held supplies and food. Kate and Jack watched as the Others rushed across the beach, setting fire to everything that wasn't already flaming, grabbing people who were running in terror.

"Sawyer!" Jack raised the gun and pointed it at the Other who had Sawyer in a choke hold.

Jack fired and the bullet hit the Other in the side, sending him falling to the sand. Sawyer straightened up, eyes wide.

But more were coming down the beach carrying torches. The remaining survivors on the beach took off the other way, the khaki dressed horrors right on their heels, clearing the beach. Jack spotted Charlie trying desperately to carry Claire. Kate was the one who noticed Aaron was missing.

Kate took off towards Charlie to help him.

"Doc," Sawyer breathed heavily as the large mob of Others approached. They fanned out across the beach, stretching from the shore to the trees, most carrying torches and others carrying clubs. There were over fifty of them, and they kept coming towards Jack and Sawyer. Sawyer suddenly pulled his gun from his belt. "If you were ever going to use that, now would be the time."

The gunshots fired one after another as Jack took them down one at a time. Kate had stopped and turned around as she and Charlie carried Claire. Jack was killing them one at a time, and they each fell to the sand twenty yards from where Jack and Sawyer stood. When they saw their fellows fall, suddenly they broke off, half of them racing into the cover of the trees and the other half running even faster towards Jack and Sawyer.

One of them tackled Jack whose clip was empty. He fell hard to the sand, a punch catching him in the throat, causing him to gag. Sawyer shot the guy on top of Jack and proceeded to shoot at any of them that approached. Two more fell to their knees after being shot and the remaining had sprinted into the jungle.

"Let's go!" Sawyer shouted, helping Jack up who was coughing, holding his throat.

"We need more guns, more people," Jack choked, bending and coughing. "We need to get all the men together."

"They took the kid," Sawyer insisted, his voice high pitched. "And they took the baby."

"What?" Jack stared in shock. "Okay we need to move fast so we can follow their trail. Use the bag in your tent, grab as many guns as you can and meet me at the hatch."

"What are you planning?" Sawyer asked.

"We have no choice. We have to fight."

Jack entered the hatch to find everyone in chaos. People were crying and others were terrified. It was very empty because half the survivors were still lying unconscious on the beach.

"Michael!" Jack spotted Michael sitting with Walt in the corner, looking strangely calm. "Come on. Round up all the strong men."

"Why?" he asked, standing.

"We have to go after them," Jack hurriedly said, turning around. "Locke!"

Sawyer stuffed as many guns as he could into the bag, most of them fitting. His heart was in his throat and he could barely breathe as he tried to concentrate on not dropping the boxes of bullets. The tent was a crumpled heap and he had to throw it aside to get to the guns. All of his things were scattered on the beach but he didn't care. In his mind, all he needed to do was kill all of the bastards that took Satine.

Why hadn't he been able to stop them? She had been right beside him, not even a foot away from him and she was gone. He had a gun in his belt, he couldn't contemplate what had taken him so long to realize the danger.

Pushing this aside he stuffed the last of the bullets into the bag and threw four rifles over his shoulder. Standing, he groaned at a pain in his sore shoulder from fighting. Giving one last look in the hole he took off towards the hatch, lugging the heavy bag.

"Doc!" Sawyer stepped into the hatch and everyone turned.

"Okay," Jack's hands were shaking and his voice hoarse as he came over and opened the bag, taking out the weapons. "Everyone gets one. If we have enough, two."

"Jack," Kate said from his left. He ignored her.

"Here," he handed John two guns, knowing his experience. Sayid held a rifle and a pistol in his hands, looking unsure. "Everybody have one?"

Looking around Sawyer suddenly felt doubtful. There were maybe ten good men that they had to go with them, those that hadn't been knocked out on the beach in the fight, and Kate whom he knew wouldn't stay. Sayid, Jack, Locke, Michael, Kate, and five other men from the group all were handed guns.

"We need to do this," Jack said, standing up. "They've taken our own."

"Jack!"

A strong hand had suddenly gripped Jack's arm and he was spun around to face Claire. Her face was pale and withdrawn, her eyes wide and bulging. She was breathing heavily and had a large bruise on her head.

"Find him!" she pleaded, sobbing so hard she could barely speak. "Find Aaron!"

"We will," Jack gripped her shoulders. "I promise."

"Ready?" Kate said, loading her gun.

Jack nodded.

The ten of them left the hatch after Jack had given strict orders for the rest of them to bring the injured and unconscious to the hatch and then lock the door. He didn't know why, but all the Others had done is rough them up and knock them out. If they had wanted to kill them it would have been too easy.

He spoke this thought aloud and Kate was the first to reply.

"They wanted to scare us," Kate assured him. She looked more determined than ever. "They knew we thought we'd killed most of them, so they got whomever they had left together and created chaos and while they did that, they took Satine and Aaron."

"Why those two though?" John asked as they continued to hurry through the jungle.

"It's who they always wanted," Sawyer spoke quietly. "They always wanted them. Now was their chance."

"We have a trail," John said suddenly, stopping. "Many people ran by here."

"We need to pick up the pace," Jack exclaimed. "Let's go."

They took off running, Jack in the lead as they followed the ruffled dirt and broken branches through the jungle. Kate wasn't sure how long they'd been running when the ground disappeared from beneath her and she screamed, grabbing the first thing in reach which was a vine on a tree.

"Kate!" Jack spun around.

"Help me!" she screamed.

She was dangling above a pit, inside of which stood very sharp stakes all pointing skyward. The covering hadn't been much and had fallen in on the second she stepped near it. Now she danged from a vine that was clinging to a tree, her feet only a foot above the spikes.

"A trap," John hissed as Jack ran around the pit towards the tree.

"Hold on!" Jack reached the other side by the tree was a good few feet from him. He got down and reached towards her. "Grab my hand!"

"I can't," she panted, barely breathing as she looked down at the stakes. "I'll fall."

"No you won't," he assured her.

For a moment their eyes met and she truly believed him. Taking a deep breath she let go of one hand and reached towards Jack who seized it.

"Now push off the side of the hole," he instructed her.

Holding her breath she kicked off the loose dirt and towards Jack. He got his arms around her but her bottom half was sliding down the side of the hole. Sawyer and John grabbed Jack and yanked him backwards and they all fell into the dirt.

"They wanted us to follow them this way," John panted, sitting up. "They've set booby traps."

"Oh great," Sawyer commented, holding out a hand to help Kate up. "Surprises."

"We need to watch where we step and watch from above too," John looked around. "It's very likely they've had time to construct some kind of obstacle course for us."

"You seem to have this all figured out?" snapped Jack.

"I know a little something about hunting and trapping," John said calmly, looking down at the stakes.

Kate was still trembling as they started off again. John had them walk in single file which was slowing down their progress.

"They're probably hidden by now!" Jack said angrily as they stepped over each vine and rock carefully. "We need to hurry!"

"And fall in another pit of stakes? Or get yanked into a tree?" Kate spat, slightly irritated by his seemingly cold demeanor. "I don't think so."

"Stop," John said.

"If we don't hurry they could be halfway across the island!" shouted Jack at her.

"Sorry if I want to survive to see that!" she screeched back.

"STOP!" John bellowed.

Nobody moved. John had both hands up in the air, frozen. Nobody dared to breathe.

"If I step off this platform I'm on," he said, pointing down to the slightly raised mound of dirt he was standing on, almost completely covered in brush and leaves, "something will fall."

"Where?" Sayid looked up into the trees.

"It could be from any direction. We'll never find it if we look," John was speaking in a very quick, hushed tone. "Jack, step off the path and stand behind that tree." He pointed to a thick tree. "Kate, follow him."

One by one John gave them each a tree to stand behind. No one objected except Jack who refused to stand behind the tree and was watching John as the last person got out of range.

"I'm going to step off it," John said quietly.

"John, no," Jack began.

But John had shifted his weight. There was an enormous smashing sound as something snapped and what looked like a massive bag of rocks, larger than Locke himself, came swinging out of the trees to John's right, narrowly missing Kate. When he saw it coming he did something that puzzled them all, he fell backwards to the ground as though stunned.

The bag swung by and brushed the top of the brush and high grass, it swung up and then down again and Jack jumped out to stop it, and it fell heavily into the grass.

"John?" Kate sprinted over to where John lay motionless, on his back. As she approached he started to sit up.

"I'm okay," he said, looking down as though to make sure. "It's okay."

"We can't keep going. Someone is going to get…"

"Sshh."

John was standing again and looked contemplative.

"If we move north we can walk parallel to their path. That way we're out of danger but wont get off track," he said confidently. Jack looked furious.

"How do we know the entire jungle isn't trapped?" Jack snapped as they all started off after Locke again.

"It's an awfully big island to booby trap it all," John said with a small smile.

"Jack," Kate said quietly as they began walking north.

"What is it?" Jack said, sounding slightly angry.

"We're missing two people," she said quietly. "Don't say anything I don't want to cause a scene. I think they're watching us."

"I noticed. John said we have to act as normally as we can," he whispered. "They can see us."

Kate nodded but remained very close to Jack's side as they walked. They had been walking north and then suddenly turned sharply east and began trekking up a hill. When they came to the top they were in a large clearing with rolling hills. There was what looked like a pile of something on one of the higher hills. John made no notion that he'd noticed this as he walked. As they got closer Kate saw they looked like tubes, and inside of them were tiny pieces of paper. She was puzzled as to how they would get here.

Jack had suddenly put his hand out and stopped her from walking. They all froze, listening. It was strangely silent.

Then came the loudest roar they had ever heard. It made them all jump and cover their ears as an explosion of dirt took place less than ten feet to their left.

"RUN!" Jack screamed.


	70. Chapter 70: Mole

(Authors Note:We're nearing the end. I can't wait to start my new fic which will be a continuation of the finale. This isn't the last chapter but we're getting there!)

They were flying through the jungle, dashing past trees and branches. The roaring was different this time, louder and more intense. They ran in a line, Sawyer in front with the rest behind him. As they ran the explosions began raining dirt upon them.

Kate ducked as an explosion almost knocked her over. It threw three of their group off the trail and into the brush. Looking back Kate saw they weren't moving, and appeared dead, their heads bloody from the impact. Her heart pounded in her throat as she continued to run. Behind her, another explosion knocked two more people off the trail. In her mind she was grateful it wasn't anyone she was more familiar with, like Sayid or Jack. But she knew that someone would be waiting for those people when they returned and they never would. Now the only ones left were Sayid, Jack, Locke, Michael, and Kate.

Suddenly Sawyer, who had been running ahead of them, skidding to a complete halt and Jack ran almost straight into him, and they all stumbled but Sawyer had his gun raised looking ahead.

Standing in the jungle was a short balding man wearing jeans and a very old gray t-shirt with many holes in it. In his left hand was a mop and in his right was a bucket. His hands were raised, his tiny eyes on the gun in Sawyer's hands.

"Don't move," Sawyer warned the man, the gun raised.

"Sawyer," Kate hissed, looking behind her. The roaring was growing louder.

The small man suddenly jerked.

"I SAID DON'T MOVE!"

When Sawyer screamed at the man who had gone to put the bucket down, the man jumped two feet in the air and the bucket fell to the ground and tipped over. Out of it came blood, spilling out onto the grass and dirt, soaking into the ground. Kate jumped back in horror. The bottom of the mop he had also dropped was a scarlet color also.

"What the…" Jack's eyes were wide.

"HEY!"

The man had taken off running in the other direction. Sawyer raised his gun.

"NO!" Jack shouted.

Sawyer fired and it hit the man squarely in the back, and he fell to the ground heavily. Just then there was another roar, this time closer and they all exchanged glances as they began hurrying past the man, through the jungle.

"We could have used him to get us where we need to go," said Jack angrily to Sawyer who seemed satisfied.

"Jack," Kate stopped, grabbing his arm.

There were two more people in the jungle, this time a little to the left, in a smaller clearing. One was a middle-aged woman with brown hair and the other a younger, very built man. They were carrying large black bags from a wheelbarrow and dumping them into a huge hole in the ground that had to be fifty feet wide.

"If we can get them to take us to their base," Jack whispered, "we can get in."

"I'll take the girl," John whispered breathlessly. "Let's move fast, in case any more are coming."

"But the monster," Kate began.

"I think it's just meant to scare us off," Sayid assured her.

Slowly Jack and Locke crept through the brush. The two people kept working. Kate, Sayid, and Michael waited with bated breath, watching as they neared the clearing and then came rushing out of the bushes towards the two people, shouting for them to put their hands up.

Kate hurried out behind them with the others in tow. Jack had gone over to the young man and had the gun pointed at him. Sawyer was standing with the woman, his eyes glaring into her as though he'd like nothing better than to shoot her.

"Take us to your camp," Jack ordered.

"No," said the man, shaking his head. "We need to finish here. The rain is coming."

"I said take us to your camp," Jack clicked the gun, not really doing anything but making it sound like he was getting ready to shoot. "Do it now."

"If you're going to shoot me for finishing my job, shoot me," the man said simply, turning away from Jack and grabbing another black bag.

"What's in there?" Kate started walking towards the edge of the hole.

"No," Michael suddenly grabbed her arm. "I don't know if we want to know what's in there."

"Let go of me," she snapped, ripping her arm away from him. She looked at him in disgust, in her mind seeing Ana and Libby lying dead in the hatch.

She neared the edge and peeked over the side. Inside were more Dharma trash bags but along with it were many items of clothing and random items like blankets, mattresses, bikes, toasters, blenders, baseball mitts, and Kate even saw a couple of pairs of shoes. Suddenly she thought of something.

"The river," she turned around to face the others. "Remember when there was the flood and all those items were rushing down the river from the mountain? What was that?"

"We had a dropoff up on the mountain and it got washed out….," the woman began but the man shot her a look and she suddenly silenced.

"There's more of you?" asked John, his eyes wide in shock.

"Take us to your camp or I'm going to kill you," Jack demanded of the man who kept throwing bags into the pit. "I will do it."

"Then do it," said the man, going back to the wheelbarrow.

Kate knew Jack wouldn't actually kill anybody. But in his eyes was the determination and fear she was feeling right now, and she knew he was capable of the worst.

"One," Jack warned, his voice shaking slightly, "two…"

He fired and Kate screamed, almost falling back into the pit. John rushed forward and caught her arm. Turning back they both looked at Jack whose hands were trembling at his sides.

The man lay on the ground, writhing in pain and moaning loudly. Jack had shot him in the arm, right above the elbow. Kate covered her mouth in disgust, seeing the bone was showing.

"You'll take us to your camp?" said Sawyer, pointing his gun at the woman again and grabbing her arm roughly. "Or you'll end up like your friend."

Together John and Michael helped up the man, who was almost screaming in pain. Sawyer held the woman's arm and kept the gun sticking into her back.

"Where is it?" he snarled, all the anger towards missing Satine going into his voice.

"It can't be far," Sayid looked around.

"It's that way, maybe a quarter of a mile," the woman said, shaking terribly. "But you won't get in. There's too many guards."

"I'll get in," Sawyer pushed the gun harder into her and she grimaced. "Let's go. And no funny business."

Slowly they let Sawyer walk behind the woman with the gun in hand. He didn't let her go more than a foot ahead of him. As they walked, Jack kept glancing back at the man who had been shot. Kate knew it was killing Jack that he'd just probably permanently injured this boy, and it was going to eat him up inside. But he'd done what he had to do.

"Through those trees is the door. Inside are guards," the woman said, turning to face Sawyer.

"Do they know what we look like?" Jack suddenly asked.

"What?" the woman looked confused.

"Do you know who we are?" Jack asked her, shaking his head.

"No," she looked around at them. "Aren't you the plane crash survivors though?"

"They made a list, what was it for?" Kate suddenly piped up.

"A list?" she now looked terrified. "I'm sorry I…"

"You know about the list," Sawyer had put his arm around her neck and put the gun to her head. She shrieked and he covered her mouth, her eyes bulging with fear. "Tell us."

"Not very easy to do with your hand over her mouth," said John simply, his arms crossed.

"Okay, I have a plan," Jack suddenly announced.

Five minutes later Kate had come out of the trees wearing the khaki clothing the woman had been wearing. It was newer material, painted and dyed to look older, the edges frayed probably with a scissors. They fit her fine but she felt oddly out of place suddenly.

The woman came out of the trees wearing Kate's jeans and shirt. Jack appeared wearing the man's shirt and pants, although there was blood on the sleeve.

"Okay, let's go over it again," Jack said quietly. They had moved behind a grove of trees to hide themselves as they formulated their plan. "Kate and I will go in with the guns, holding you guys. And we'll say we found you in the jungle."

"Take your hair out," said the woman.

Kate looked at her confusedly. Was she really helping her?

"We're not allowed to wear our hair up when we come out. I guess down it looks more…jungly," she shrugged. They were all giving her quizzical looks especially her friend who was sitting beside Locke, panting and holding his wound.

Kate removed the band from her hair and shook out her hair. She had only washed it a day ago and hoped it wasn't noticeable.

"Okay, anything else we need to know?" Jack was taking advantage of her willingness.

"You won't get far before they realize you're not one of us," the woman said quietly. "Trust me."

"Why are you helping us?" Kate asked. "Shouldn't you be giving us wrong information so we get caught?"

"Why should I?" she looked down. "I was on the plane too."

All of them were dumbstruck, staring at the woman who was now looking very upset.

"They took me the week they crashed. I've been working for them ever since. It's okay, it's not like they hurt me. We just do a lot of the physical and dirty stuff," she whispered, looking around as though worried someone was listening.

"Traitor," the man said angrily.

"I'm guessing he wasn't on the plane," John said, pointing.

"No," the man spat angrily. "And they'll find out who you are and you'll be dead before you even know you're found out!"

"No we won't," Jack suddenly picked up his gun and began loading it again. "Because we're killing everybody, no exceptions."

"Wait, you never said," Kate began, but he cut her off.

"We need to get Satine and Aaron back safely. If we get them back and everyone is still here, what's the point?" Jack demanded of them all, his hands still shaking slightly. He wouldn't look at the wounded man. "We need to destroy this place."

"There's a boiler room," suddenly the woman spoke up, looking anxious. "We have to be careful with it because the boiler gets too hot. And if it gets too hot it can start fires or explode."

"If we can turn it up, we can blow this place into the sky," Sawyer looked excited and Kate was a little afraid of him.

"Okay. Now, you found us sneaking around here. Your friend here was shot dead, but you got my gun and you're bringing us in," Sayid said, explaining it to Kate. "If you think they've found you out, or they ask too many questions, we'll take out our own guns."

"What if they fall for it and take you guys?" she asked worriedly.

"We'll start working way before that," Sawyer snapped.

"I suppose I'm staying here?" John cocked his head as though knowing the answer.

"Stay with him and keep pressure on that," Jack said on instinct. He realized what he'd said and looked away. "Keep out of sight."

"They'll kill you all!" shouted the man angrily.

"We'll see about that," said Sawyer, sticking his gun in his pocket.

Kate took her own gun and waited for Jack, Sawyer, Sayid, and Michael to put their guns in out of sight places.

"If you really think about it, we could have overpowered you," Michael said simply.

"It's funny the things you can do with a gun," she snapped at him, her eyes glaring.

"Okay. Let's go," Jack said, turning around.

Kate walked behind them, the gun in her hands as they walked in a line ahead of her.

"Start shouting, draw them out first," Sayid hissed to her. "Make it sound like we're giving you a hard time."

"Okay," she nodded.

"I SAID KEEP YOUR HANDS UP!" she screamed, trying her best to sound realistic and not terrified. "KEEP THEM UP!"

They walked towards the two trees and stopped at the line of foliage. Kate went ahead of them and lifted several branches, revealing double doors with the Dharma signal on them.

"It's okay," Jack whispered to her.

She reached out and opened the doors, the gun in her hand, and came face to face with two men.

"What's this?" demanded one in a Scottish accent.

"I found them," Kate said, sounding very intense. "They were sneaking around near here. They shot…"

Suddenly she realized she didn't know the boy's name. In her head her fear increased but if they didn't already realize she wasn't one of them, they couldn't know everyone's names.

"Mitch?" asked the other guard, his brow furrowed. "They shot Mitch?"

"Yeah," she suddenly said, praying that was his name. "They killed him."

The two of them looked at the men behind Kate with such anger Kate was almost afraid they'd kill them on the spot.

"Glad to see you're okay, sister," said the Scottish one, helping Kate step over the barrier at the bottom of the door and having her stand behind him. "We'll take them from here."

"We'll make sure they suffer for what they did," said the other one who sounded very southern.

"Actually," Kate said as they grabbed Jack and shoved him inside. "I want to see them suffer myself. I…I need to know they did…for Mitch."

The Scottish one put a hand on Kate's shoulder, and nodded. They took clubs from their pockets and shoved them ahead, down the long hallway they were in with many doors on the side.

It was a wide hallway and very crowded. People were going in and out of rooms with files and others were pushing carts full of supplies, others with bottles of liquid and injections with large needles attached were in shiny clear cases. Jack, Sawyer, Sayid, and Michael stared around in shock.

Suddenly Michael stopped walking and the Scottish man went to raise his club but stopped, really looking at Michael's face.

"Oh god," he stepped back. "It's that kids dad."

"What?" the other looked scared.

"Why is he back?" demanded the southern one.

"What were you doing out there?" Kate demanded, trying to play along.

"You took two people, you came and attacked us after you promised you'd leave us alone!" Michael said angrily.

The club came down on Michael's head hard and he fell backwards into Kate who jumped back and let him fall to the ground. Jack went forward to check him and he got hit in the side and stumbled to the wall. Kate gasped and just one look from Sawyer told her this was it.

"You're really going to regret it if you hit me with that stick," Sawyer said with a sneer.

"Oh yeah?" the Scottish one grinned as he raised the club.

Sawyer shot him in the belly. The gunshot seemed to ring out in the hallway, and the man stood for a split second, the club still raised before he fell backward in a kind of graceful bow, and hit the floor.

Everyone in the hall had frozen and ducked. Now Sawyer, Sayid, Michael, and Kate spun around to face them all, guns out.

Then the alarm went off.


	71. Chapter 71: Who She Really Is

(im sorry about the confusion. I posted one chapter with the wrong title. Sawyer was all wounded then hes like running around lol. Sorry)

People were running and screaming as a loud alarm began ringing overhead. Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Michael stood there, unsure of whether they should start shooting.

"FREEZE!" Sawyer shouted, firing.

His shot missed everyone and hit a light, blowing it out and sending glass raining down upon several people who shielded their heads. Almost everyone in this wide hallway, which the four of them were standing in a line across, had on some kind of scrubs or a lab coat. Some wore gray jumpsuits. One man who had been pushing a cart had on jeans but he was the only one in any kind of casual clothing. All of them had begun to scatter, running into the various doors on each side and out the door at the end which led to another long hallway.

"Stop or we'll start shooting!" Jack warned.

Nobody listened.

"Try not to kill them," Jack seemed to plead quietly.

They started firing, aiming at those who were running by. Sawyer hit three, sending all of them falling to the floor. Kate hesitated a moment then began firing at them, trying her best to aim at their arms and shoulders and not heads or torsos. Soon it was a mess of bullets flying and people falling on top of one another. Finally Jack fired one last shot into an older woman who had been running by and it was quiet.

"Let's go," Jack began.

"What about Michael?" Kate asked, looking down at him unconscious on the floor.

"Wait!" Sayid warned. "We should not go forward unless we know it's safe."

"Let's split up and we can find them faster and blow the boiler," Sawyer hurriedly said, looking more scared than angry.

"We should not split up. We need to make sure we all come out," Sayid looked like splitting up was the last thing he'd ever want to do. "We need to proceed with…"

"Someone's coming!" Kate hissed.

There were many footsteps down the hallway ahead of them and through the small windows in the doors they could see many khaki dressed people rushing towards them.

"We need to go," Sawyer began, stepping back.

"But Michael…" Kate said.

"We can't worry about him now! Come on!" Jack seized her arm and they took off running the other way. The doors burst open and there were shots fired and they all ducked, skidding around a corner into a second crowded hallway. When people ahead saw them coming, they began rushing away. This hallway ended much wider, more like a circle with a higher ceiling and many doors going off in all directions. There was a small desk in the middle and a smaller woman who, when they entered, hid beneath it.

"We need to find Satine and Aaron," Kate insisted, Jack's hand still on her arm.

"We need to split up. Let's go," Sawyer grabbed Kate's hand and yanked her away from Jack, heading towards a closer door.

"Wait! We should stay together!" Sayid shouted after them.

But the footsteps were coming towards them and Jack sprinted to another door across the way, throwing it open and shoving Sayid inside ahead of him.

Sawyer and Kate found themselves hurrying down a deserted corridor with few doors on each side but windows looking in on control rooms. Kate got the weirdest sensation that tours may have been given of this place, and people would go down this hall, watching as scientists worked. Now the control rooms were empty but some screens were on, and each television had someone on it.

"She's probably being monitored from one of these rooms," Kate said, suddenly stopping. It didn't seem like the people following had chosen this hallway to check for them. "We need to find the control room because more than likely she's in the same kind of place I was in."

"You never told us what…" Sawyer began.

"Nevermind. We…"

She stopped talking when one of the doors opened. Both of them raised their guns, pointing them at a pretty woman with long brown hair wearing spectacles and a lab coat. She stopped, her eyes wide, throwing her hands up.

"Don't move," Kate warned, going over to her. "Where are Satine and Aaron?"

"Who?" she asked, her eyes on Sawyer. He had an angry glare that would scare anyone.

"You know who," Sawyer growled.

"The girl and the baby that were taken from us!" Kate shouted angrily. She was fed up with this goddamn place.

"The cell?" she asked curiously, then clapped her hands over her mouth.

"The what?" Kate looked at Sawyer confusedly. "Take us to her!"

"I can't! I don't know where it is!" she insisted, her hands shaking.

"Then take us to the control room that watches her," said Kate, getting frustrated but also feeling confused. "Now."

The woman nodded, slowly turning and closing the door she had just come out of. She began walking slowly down the hall, throwing occasional glances into the glass on either side of her to watch Kate and Sawyer behind her. They couldn't help but gaze into the large paneled rooms with huge switchboards and television screens covering one whole wall. Some looked more like recording studios, looking in onto empty white rooms with single chairs or tables. Kate shivered, wondering how many people had died down here during experiments.

"Here," the woman pointed at the door. "But I don't have a key."

Sawyer stepped up to the door and raised a foot, giving it a hard kick, which broke the lock and sent it smashing in, hitting the opposite wall. Kate stood behind the woman, her gun pointed right at her as they entered.

It was the same as every other room except the walls looked almost soundproof. They were soft and smelled slightly moldy. There were two rolling chairs in front of a switchboard and three very old-fashioned television screens. All of them were off.

"Turn it on," Sawyer demanded.

The woman leaned over the switchboard and flicked on the three screens that flickered from fuzz to static and then to a picture. When she did this, the board below them lit up with many tiny lights over the switches and dials. There was one large microphone facing them from on the board.

On the screen was a room with a single bed and table. On the bed was Satine, and she lay motionless, her eyes closed. For a moment Kate wondered if she was sleeping.

"We need to find her," Kate whispered.

"I can assure you that will be quite difficult. No one knows where she is," said the woman matter-of-factly. "No one but a few."

"Why do you want her so badly?" Sawyer snapped, his gun not even pointed at her. He was being sincere. "What is so special about her?"

"You don't know?" the woman crossed her arms and almost looked amused. "No wonder you're so hostile."

"What?" Kate looked at Sawyer. "US? We're hostile?"

"She is _the cell_. She is the one," the woman spoke in a hushed tone. She didn't even look scared by the guns anymore, but rather surprised. "I'm surprised you didn't notice anything unusual."

"We did notice things. She's a psychic like Alex was," Kate said, her stomach knotting at Alex's name.

"Alex is psychic, yes," the woman's face hardened. "I doubt she is anymore."

"Alex died," Kate corrected her, her voice stiff.

"Yes I know," the woman nodded. "But Walt fixed that."

"What?" Kate was going into information overload. She felt completely befuddled. "Walt fixed what?"

"He fixed Alexandra," the woman looked almost mad that they didn't know this. "Why do you think we made that whole fuss over taking her?"

"Wait," Sawyer held up a hand. "You took her…to kill her?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I don't usually get in on these things but it was the talk of the place. Everyone knew Alex would be the first."

"The first what?" Kate demanded. "What did Walt do?"

"He brought her back," the woman said quietly, her eyes shining. "Walt brought her back from the dead."

Sayid and Jack stumbled into a short narrow hallway with a four way ahead. They raced up it and stopped, looking all the ways, which looked exactly the same.

"We'll try this way," Jack said, going right.

They reached the first door and Jack opened it.

Both of them stepped inside, looking around in wonder. There were many cages lining the walls, from the floor to the ceiling wrapping all the way around the room. It was dark as they entered and closed the door behind them, which left them in darkness. Sayid groped around and felt the light switch, turning it on.

Jack fell back against the door, his hand over his heart.

The animals in the cages were not normal. Straight-ahead was a dog with a cat's head. Above it were smaller cages holding various types of chickens, most with no heads or some with two or three. Beside them were cages of monkeys, some with more than three arms and others with no eyes, or no mouths, or missing limbs. The nearest wall had even smaller cages with rats and mice running in wheels and tubes. The mice were normal except for their size. Some were the size of small dogs. On the far wall was one larger cage containing what had to be a polar bear cub. This was the only normal animal in the room.

"What have they been doing?" Sayid looked as dumbstruck as Jack, who was still leaning against the door, terrified.

Sayid neared the cub's cage. Inside it was sitting up, looking at him as he approached. It eyed him for a moment then opened it's mouth but instead of some kind of animal cry, a human child's cry erupted.

Both of them scrambled so fast out of the room you would have through they were catching fire. Neither bothered to check if the hall was cleared as they slammed the door shut and took off towards the other hallway.

"Wait," Sayid panted, stopping as they reached the end. He was looking at the double doors before him. They had no handle, just a simple card swipe on the right side.

"Maybe Satine is in there," Sayid said hopefully.

"We need a card," Jack pointed to the card swipe.

"No need," Sayid pulled a knife from his pocket and jammed it into the card swipe. There was a twang and what sounded like something smashing and there was a click, but the doors stayed in place.

Using his shoulder, Sayid rammed the doors, sending them flying open easily since they weren't locked anymore.

"Oh my god," Jack breathed.

Sawyer stared at the woman and then raised his gun.

"She died," he said quietly, his voice solid but low. "I carried her body back."

"Yes, and we carried her here," the woman didn't even look at the gun. Why were these people not afraid of guns? "Alive."

"You didn't do anything. You didn't kill her then, we were wrong," Kate insisted, looking at Sawyer for some support. "Walt didn't bring her back."

"I assure you, he did. I attended many of his sessions. He has done it to smaller animals but it never seemed to work. But when we tried it with Alex, we were able to keep her alive," she seemed satisfied.

Sawyer struck the woman hard across the face.

"Sawyer!" Kate grabbed his hand as he went to do it again.

"She's dead," Sawyer said angrily.

"She is alive," the woman had rebounded and looked furious, a red blotch starting on her pale cheek. "And her and _the cell_ will…"

"What is _the cell_?" Kate interrupted angrily as Sawyer turned around, breathing heavily.

"Satine! The girl you're referring to! The girl on these screens," she pointed at the monitor, which still showed Satine asleep. "She is _the cell_."

"And what exactly does that mean?" Sawyer said from his place in the corner, his arms crossed.

"She is the only person on this island who is honestly and truly gifted," the woman spoke in pure admiration. "She can speak to someone miles away, without even trying."

Sawyer remembered when Satine was taken, and she had sent him a message, screaming for help. He had keeled over in pain, the invasion of his head too much for him. But no one had believed him.

"So she's psychic, you guys see a lot of them since you make them," Sawyer snapped.

"We do not make psychics," she said, her tone making it sound as though she were insulted. "Our subjects believe they were turned into them because when they're here they realize the extent of their abilities through training and enhancing drugs. But they all arrive here the same way they would leave."

"So no one actually leaves," Kate assumed.

"People leave. Not a lot, but they do," she gave Kate a sad look. "The cell is the only person who has ever left. She came back to us, though and we're sure that was no mistake."

"She fell off a cruise ship," Sawyer said, shaking his head.

"She was forced to believe that. I do not know the full story but from what I hear, her and her mother were boarding a cruise ship when they were abducted. The mother died in the struggle by accident, we never meant for her death. We needed her to be here on her own and choose to come to us. We wanted to see if she remembered it at all. So we dropped her on the beach, we left her mother's body there too, and waited, and gave her a false memory."

"You killed her mother?" said Kate unbelievably. "You left her here?"

"We knew she was powerful when she was young, but not like this. We sensed she was near, that's how powerful she is. She's probably the most gifted girl we've ever seen," she nodded, as though reminiscing.

"And why is she _the cell_?"

"It's a name she was given. Because all it takes is one cell to give someone a gift like she has. One cell in her body, in all of us, that makes us that kind of unique. All of Satine's cells are like that. So in her case, she is one big cell of massive energy that could match the electromagnetic energy beneath this island in a heartbeat," she was getting excited as though telling a story. "She is so powerful we predicted she would kill herself by now by misuse of power. Perhaps she'd delve too deep into a mind, or get scared and commit suicide. But coming here changed her, she controlled it better. We think it was interaction…"

"This is all Japanese to me," Sawyer looked at Kate desperately.

"She is too powerful to be let go," the woman said simply, almost pleading with Sawyer to understand. "If she goes back with you she'll be okay, but when she returns to the mainland it could be catastrophic. If she gets mad, or upset, she could destroy cities!"

"Satine is weak," Sawyer said, his voice softer as he spoke of her. "She was injured so many times. She can barely lift a magazine, how can she destroy cities?"

"Her weakness has made us hopeful that maybe her power is not as great. But it does not mean she is not dangerous."

"She's a kid," Sawyer shook his head, sounding completely overwhelmed. "She's been with me since she arrived. She's never hurt anyone."

"Have you had very much bad luck since she arrived? Has bad energy followed her, or terrible events followed her showing up?" the woman sighed as Sawyer looked shocked. "We thought we could use Alex to control her, to get in her head and create some barriers. But it almost killed Alex."

"It did kill Alex," said Kate.

"If you destroy this compound, and you take Satine and Alex back with you, you're risking everyone's safety. Satine must either be kept here or destroyed."

"Destroyed?" Sawyer suddenly raised his gun.

"She has no shown a great deal of emotional instability. But we can't base that on anything. That will show the extent of her power. Then we will see," the woman nodded.

"I've heard enough," Kate grabbed the woman and shoved her towards the door. "Take us to where Satine is right now."

"I don't know where she is. She may be in the West End, but no one is allowed there."

"What should we do with her?" Sawyer asked, holding the woman's arm.

Kate glared at her, almost hating her for telling them this.

"Let her go. Jack said we're blowing this place," Kate looked at the woman's wide, scared eyes. "She can get her ass out."

They hurried down the hallway towards the door they had come in through. As they went away, the woman looked down at her hand, at the slip she had taken out of the holder in the room below the television. It had the number for the room they were viewing. She looked down at it and stared, amazed she had been able to lie so well and not let them see that the room number was written right there on the television. Reading it one last time she crumpled it and stuffed it in her pocket, the writing inscribed in her head.

Room. 4815.


	72. Chapter 72: Revelation

Sayid and Jack walked forward towards a long glass window running the length of the room behind which was what looked like a hospital bed without the equipment around it. There was a single IV and a cart full of medical supplies.

In the bed was Alex, looking pale and weak, almost dead as what looked like a very old heart monitor which they could hear beeping through a sound system in the ceiling. It seemed the entire room inside was wired.

"We need to get her out," Jack went to open the door.

"Wait," Sayid looked nervous. "It's too easy. Where is security?"

"They're too busy tripping over the bodies we left!" Jack snapped. "Come on!"

He opened the door and stepped inside. It was strangely cold in there, and it seemed darker now that he was in. Turning around, he saw from this side the window looked like one long mirror running the length of the wall.

Nearing the bed he felt shivers run up and down his spine. She looked dead, almost ghostly. Her cheeks were sunken in and her closed eyes dark and circled. He touched her hand and it was like ice.

"If we move her, she could die," Jack whispered.

"We should leave her."

Jack spun around and faced Sayid who was standing in the doorway.

"What?" demanded Jack.

"She is dying. I don't know how but she wasn't dead…"

"She was dead. She had no heartbeat, no pulse for over an hour. She was dead," Jack said firmly.

"Well now she is alive but not by much. We could end up just killing her again," said Sayid quietly as though trying to comfort Jack.

"She would die here since we're destroying it anyway," he shook his head and began unhooking the heart monitor. "I can take the IV, it'll help. It looks like they're giving her something to keep her heart going."

"This will make it difficult to get Michael out," Sayid said as though trying to convince Jack to forget it. "She was one of them originally."

"No she wasn't," he said, trying to wrap Alex in the blanket that was over her. "She was taken from Rousseau. Then she was taken again after the boat exploded. I can't let her go again."

Jack lifted Alex easily from the bed and put the IV on her stomach where it lay flatly. He turned toward the door and Sayid stepped back as Jack stepped through it.

"This place is huge," Kate whispered as they stepped into the rounded lobby again. No one was in here anymore and the alarm was ringing distantly, echoing. "What if we can't find her?"

"We'll find her," Sawyer hissed, going towards the desk in the middle.

"Do you believe what that woman said…"

"NO," he answered before she had even finished. "It's all crap."

"But she works here…"

"She's a liar. I could see it in her face," he stopped at the desk and looked down at some documents on it and finally picked one up. "A map."

The top of it read Station Seven: The Goblet. It was complicated and mostly listed labs and bathrooms but in one corner of the map, colored in red was an area labeled "Quarantine."

"She's probably there," Kate pointed.

"Let's go…"

"Sawyer, we don't even know how to get there," Kate said. "Let's wait for Jack and Sayid."

"You wait, I'll go," he barely said it to her as he began walking away. Kate sighed and hurried after him as he held the map and hurried to another door.

They entered a narrow hall with light bulbs every few feet in the ceiling. Kate wondered how people worked here and got around without any directories or signs on the walls. It was completely white, no accent or tone other than futuristic underground laboratory.

Reaching the end, Sawyer hauled open a large metal door and they stepped into what used to be a freezer and now just had many large hooks hanging from the ceiling.

"I don't like this," Kate said, sticking very close to Sawyer as he examined the map in the dim light of the large room. "Sawyer, I think we made a wrong turn."

"No we didn't," he pointed ahead. There was a small staircase leading down from the other side of the room. "Through there."

They bent and walked below the hooks and to the staircase, which was lit by a light behind a sconce in the wall. There were steps and every few feet a landing, on each side of which were more lights. They went down almost ten flights before the floor was flat ahead of them, leading towards a large gate reaching the ceiling with a locked swing door. A huge chain was tied around it with a padlock.

Sawyer cursed and threw the map down but suddenly stopped. He picked up the map and pocketed it, taking out his gun. Kate hurried to stand back as he pointed it at the padlock.

It took three tries before he broke it, and clumsily pulled the chain off the gate. Swinging it open he didn't even hold it open for Kate as he rushed through. She was right on his heels as they went down a darker hallway with fewer lights.

"Please wait for me!" Kate pleaded, the darkness terrifying her. It was dark and a light was almost ten feet from each other making each gap of light darker and darker. She only saw glimpses of Sawyer as he strode quickly ahead of her. Her heart pounded as she watched him, practically running, feeling very claustrophobic. She lost sight of Sawyer and her breath was coming in such short gasps she couldn't shout out to him.

Instead she slowed to a walk and kept going. Suddenly she froze. There were definitely footsteps behind her. Speeding up, she began to run and had just begun to sprint when she smashed right into Sawyer.

"Someone's coming!" she shrieked, going to run around him.

But before them was a blank wall.

"We need to find Kate and Sawyer," Sayid said as they stepped into the lobby less than ten seconds after Kate and Sawyer had gone through the other door. Jack had Alex limply in his arms.

"It's so quiet. Did everyone escape?" Jack looked around.

"They are probably hiding," Sayid seemed sure of this.

"We should go find Michael," Jack said, turning towards the hallway they had come through originally. "We should bring the two of them outside and leave them with Locke and come back in."

"When everyone was escaping I hope no one saw him," said Sayid worriedly.

"I'm sure he's fine," Jack said.

The halls were empty which made Jack edgy. He held Alex tightly as though afraid they would try to take her again. Every so often he took her wrist, just to make sure that faint pulse was still there.

"Do you think…"

Sayid was cut off when they entered the hall they'd first been brought into. All the bodies, every single one of them was gone. Even the blood that had been on the walls and floor was cleaned.

"No…" Jack looked up and down as though unsure of what he was seeing. "Where…"

"They're good," Sayid said quietly in amazement.

"Let's bring her out and we'll come back in and find Kate and Sawyer," Jack said, his voice shaking a bit. "That alarm went off."

Neither of them wanted to talk about the fact that all the bodies were gone. It was too scary, too weird. It made Jack feel like he was crazy, like what he was seeing wasn't real. He tried to push it away as he stepped out into the jungle again and realized it had been air conditioned in there.

"John!" Jack shouted as they hurried through the short brush that had obviously been trimmed. "John!"

"Over here!"

They ran to the same hill they'd been hiding behind. John sat with the man who was looking much paler than he had before. He was no longer panting in pain, he was just kind of sitting holding his shoulder looking numb.

"What the…" John said as Jack lay Alex down.

"No time to explain," panted Jack. "Keep checking her pulse. If it disappears, you know CPR?"

Locke nodded and Jack clapped him on the shoulder before straightening up.

"You should try to move farther away if you can," Sayid advised.

Nodding, Locke stood and picked up Alex. She was eerily limp as he moved her away.

Jack and Sayid hurried back inside.

Kate and Sawyer spun around, the footsteps getting even closer. Kate gripped Sawyer's arm so tight he bit his lip to keep from telling her to stop. Neither of them moved as the lights all along the hall flashed the person walking for a moment but not long enough to see who it was as the steps got louder and the shadow got bigger. Both had their backs practically up against the wall, and both had their guns pointed straight out.

Finally the steps stopped right before them, just out of sight of the light that was illuminating them both.

The stranger stepped forward and Sawyer suddenly tensed. Kate gasped.

"Hello there," said the bald man who had taken Kate out of the water, sneering. "Hello Kate."

Neither of them spoke, their guns pointing directly at him. He had nothing on him, just his khaki clothes.

"We all had to get dressed up for you hicks?" the bald man laughed. "Wow."

"Where's Satine?" demanded Kate.

"You two are as blind as bats," the bald man pointed to the wall behind them. Both of them squinted. They were standing in front of a door the same color as the white wall without a doorknob, just a card slide and the numbers 4815 in white on the door. "Nice."

"Give me the key," Sawyer put the gun in the man's face. "Now."

"Right. So you can rescue your precious girl and run off to your beach and be happy again and eat fish and wait for rescue to never come?" the bald man said mockingly. "Not so easy, partners."

"You don't seem to realize we're the one's with the guns," Kate snapped, her gun also in his face. "Now do it."

"You two couldn't hurt a fly," he put his hands on his hips. "Now, if you'll just…"

He had gone to put a hand to his belt and Sawyer fired. The bullet hit him in the neck and Kate felt blood splash her face as he fell back, a hand over his bleeding neck.

"You didn't kill him!" Kate shrieked as the bald man held his throat, which was gushing and squirting blood everywhere. He seemed to have torn the side of his neck off.

Sawyer bent and felt around the man's belt as he writhed and squirmed on the floor, desperately trying to keep the wound closed through the blood as it flowed out like water in cupped hands. Finally Sawyer straightened up with a card in hand.

"Just do it," Kate breathed. She was breathless and claustrophobic and also terrified that Jack and Sayid may be hurt.

Sliding the key, they waited and there was a small green light above the door that suddenly blinked. Exchanging a look they both pushed and the double doors opened.

(flashback)

Satine awoke, her head splitting. It took her a long time to finally open her eyes and when she did she almost screamed.

She was lying on her side and there was blood on the floor, all around her. She shrieked, jumping up. She was in a small room, only one dim light hanging from the ceiling which glinted in the mess on the floor. The blood was flowing from many dead animals that lay in the corners of the room, only feet from Satine. She backed away towards the door, her head spinning from being hit and her stomach lurching from the sight. She was covered in it and the smell was overpowering. She turned and vomited beside the door, almost fainting into the pile of rat, mice, and bird corpses.

The door behind her suddenly swung open and she jumped back.

"Sorry," said a short bald man with small eyes. He had a bucket and mop in hand. "We couldn't find anywhere else to put ya."

She went to rush out but he stopped her, putting an arm across the doorway.

"Wait," he said, his Australian accent heavy.

She went to hit him but he grasped her wrist, leaning the broom against the wall and reaching into his pocket and taking out a handkerchief.

"For your face," he said quietly. "It seems you got blood on it."

For a moment she gave him a look that could have been gratitude, then she shook her head and walked out past him, only to walk right into someone wearing khaki clothing.

"Satine, we meet again," said an older man with graying hair. He had piercing green eyes and a gentle smile but she saw through it. "Wow, I haven't seen you since you were…"

"What do you want from me?" she shrieked. She was covered in blood, and she had been taken from Sawyer. She didn't even know if he was okay. "WHY COULDN'T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE?"

"I think the time has come we had that conversation," he said quietly. "Now come and we can get you washed up."

"No," she snapped, pulling her arm away. "I want to know right now."

"Walk with me and we'll talk," he said in an almost fatherly tone. "Please."

She fell into step beside him, shaking slightly. The stink of the corpses was still on her and making her feel sick again.

"First I want to apologize. We didn't send the most brilliant of our group to get you. When they came back they panicked and threw you in there just until they could find me," he said gently as they strolled down a long white hallway with windows on each side. There were control panels and switchboards with televisions attached inside each.

"Why do you need me so bad?" she demanded, her voice trembling.

"Satine, you're special. You've always been special which is why you're mother sent you here to us when you were a baby. I think you know this already assuming from your lack of shock," he said, glancing at her.

"My mother sent me here because she was an alcoholic and was out of her mind and wanted the money," Satine snapped.

"Your mother sent you because every time you didn't get what you'd want you would blow the windows out on every house on the block," he said stiffly. "She was running out of excuses. There could only be so many earthquakes on one block in a year."

"She sent me away because she was scared of me," whispered Satine, not wanting to talk to this man.

"Yes. For a good reason too. You're unique, and what makes you unique is not what you can do but what you dont want to do. You know you posses something extraordinary yet you've never experimented, never tried to harm anyone and it's remarkable," he shook his head and smiled in amazement. "It has puzzled me all these years."

"Get to the point," she spat, having no patience for him.

"My point is, you are the most powerful person on this island yet you have done nothing with it. You could change the weather if you wanted to. You could disintegrate this island into dust but you chose not to," he looked at her sideways. "You chose to stay with them on the beach."

"I can't do those things. I never could. So I had something when I was little, I grew out of it. It doesn't happen to me anymore," she shouted, her blood boiling. Who did this guy think he was?

"It happens without you noticing. Electromagnetic energy is what carries your brainwaves from person to person. On an island sitting on a goldmine of it, any psychic's abilities will be doubles or tripled. Even normal people will feel different intuitions as though they've gotten to know themselves better. But for you, it gives you power you couldn't control if you tried."

"Seriously, make sense please," she crossed her arms as they continued to walk slowly.

"You're a danger to everyone especially yourself. That is basically it. If you were to get overly upset or emotional, who knows what you could do," he exclaimed, trying to explain it to her simply. "You cannot leave here because in here we can control those brainwaves. The whole earth has electromagnetic energy, so you can do what you want. But here, we have it controlled inside the compound. We can keep you from getting out of control."

"Out of control? What am I possessed? I haven't hurt anybody or anything!" she shouted, her voice cracking. "What are you smoking? You're out of your mind!"

"You came back to us for a certain reason, because you were drawn here. I believe fate sent you here to protect everyone else, protect you from creating relationships. If you were to become emotionally attached to anyone, it could be catastrophic," he began, but stopped seeing the look on her face.

In Satine's mind all she could see was Sawyer.


	73. Chapter 73: Relapse

(Authors note:I got messed up when I posted the chapters. You may want to go back and reread 71 – 73 because I posted them out of order. Sorry, but its fixed now.)

Sayid and Jack walked carefully back inside, checking around corners. It had gotten too quiet too fast. How was it everyone had hidden, and had time to clean up the bodies and blood? It made no sense.

"It's very possible it was an optical illusion," Sayid said, sounding numb.

"We need to find them," Jack said as they headed down the hallway to that lobby again. "And find the boiler room."

"I hope they found Satine," Sayid sighed. "For her sake."

"She's strong. I don't know why they wanted her but she wouldn't give up easily," assured Jack, trying more to comfort himself than Sayid.

"We should try another door and leave it open in case they come back," Jack said, heading towards another door and then stopping. "Oh…"

On the door were the words "maintenance and boiler".

(flashback)

"You could kill anyone you love," the man was saying in a soft, strong voice to her as she stared with blank eyes. He had explained what she was, about the cell, about all of her cells and about Alex. Now she stood there, her head too full and buzzing. "The passion you feel for anyone could kill them."

"No," she whispered, wiping her suddenly tearing eyes. "No, that's not me."

"The only way to save those you love is to stay here where they can't see you, where you cannot grow to love them more. A simple affection is dangerous. You could cause a surge of energy and they could die," he was speaking as though pleading with her. "Like your mother."

Her head snapped around.

"What? No, she died when she was shot," her voice was trembling and she knew it was true. "No."

Looking down she sniffled. She didn't want to kill Sawyer, she loved him. But how could she possibly bare never seeing him again?

"And if I stay here," she looked back up at him. "I won't be able to hurt anyone?"

"I promise," he held out a hand for her to shake.

Nodding, she shook his hand.

(end flashback)

Kate and Sawyer were standing in an apartment not much unlike their hatch. It had retro furniture arranged around a coffee table on one side and a bed on the other. It was smaller and the walls were bare. Sitting on the end of the bed reading a paper was Satine.

When they stepped inside, Satine had thought it was that doctor coming in to talk to her again. When he first showed her this place it seemed awful. But in her mind she would know Sawyer was okay.

Now he stood at the door with Kate, his eyes on her.

"Sawyer," she stood, her voice barely audible.

Sawyer dropped his gun and rushed forward towards her, wrapping her in a breath-taking hug. He hugged her so tight it were as though if he were to let go he'd lose her again. In his head all he could think of was how he thought she was dead, how he had been so sure they'd taken her just to kill her just like Alex.

"I'm sorry," he said, holding on of her hands in both of his. She was wearing long white pants and a white shirt. It looked almost sterile. "I'm sorry we took so long."

"We should go," Kate said, her smile obvious as she looked at Satine.

"I can't," Satine stepped back from Sawyer suddenly and his heart dropped into his stomach. "I'm not leaving."

"You have to," Sawyer's voice sounded desperate.

"I won't leave," she said firmly, although Sawyer saw her eyes were welling. "I can't."

"Is this about what they said you were, what they said you could do?" snapped Sawyer, suddenly furious. "Screw them! You know they're nuts, they friggin kept Walt for a month!"

"Where's Aaron?" Kate asked Satine.

"He's in the room next door. I can visit him," she said to Kate, trying not to look at Sawyer.

"Go get Aaron," Sawyer snapped at Kate. Satine pointed at a door on the other side of the room. Spinning back to Satine, he looked sadly at her. "You have to come back."

"I can't," she whispered, stepping back as he stepped closer. "Please don't make me explain."

"I need you to because I don't understand why you want to stay here," he looked around the tiny room. "It's a prison. They took you."

"For a good reason," she looked at him, crying. "I'm dangerous, Sawyer. I could hurt people."

"You've never hurt anyone here," he begged.

"Please just go. Take Aaron and bring him back to Claire," she turned away, trying not to sob.

"You're coming," he seized her arm. "You'll come to your senses once your away from this place."

"No!" she tried to pull away but he was dragging her towards the door. "Sawyer stop, I can't go!"

"Kate! Come on!" Sawyer shouted.

"SAWYER!"

Kneeling in the doorway holding Sawyer's gun was the bald man. He had one hand on his neck, blood caked on his hand and shirt. But he had gotten it to stay shut. Now he wavered, the gun in his hand as he pointed it at Sawyer and fired.

"NO!" he had shoved her hard to the side and it hit him in the side, going right through him. Sawyer remained standing for a moment, looking down at the blood beginning to soak through his white t-shirt, then he felt his knees buckle and he fell, leaning against the bed.

"Sawyer!" Satine scrambled up, her throat about to burst. "SAWYER!"

Kate came out of the door with Aaron in her arms. She looked from the bald man at the door, to the gun that had fallen from his hands, back to Sawyer.

"Oh my god," she hurried over and bent, cradling Aaron. "No."

Sawyer looked down at his side. It had pierced him and went right through, out the back. He could feel warm blood flowing over his hands as he put his hand there, and his shirt was sticking to him with the blood. His head felt dizzy as he looked down at it.

Slowly Satine stood. Her hands had balled into fists, looking over at the man now leaning against the doorframe trying to stay conscious. She slowly walked over to him, her chest heaving.

There was a strange rumbling and Kate looked up from her place on the ground. Dust shook from the ceiling and a long cracked formed, sending bits of plaster down onto them. Looking over she saw Satine standing over the bald man. She had the gun in her hand.

"Satine!" Kate shouted.

Satine shot him in the chest and then dropped the gun. The rumbling continued and the lights flickered for a moment.

"Satine! Calm down!" Kate shrieked, remembering what was said. Was it possibly true?

There was running in the hallway, stumbling and panting. Satine had turned back to Sawyer and walked over, standing over him with tears running down her face. He was still conscious, and looking up at the shaking ceiling.

Suddenly Jack and Sayid appeared in the doorway.

"We've got to go!" Jack shouted, then stopped, seeing Sawyer.

"Oh my god, no," Jack ran over and bent, looking at the wound. "No, we have to go. Come on. Sayid! Help me!"

"The boiler! It's cracked," Sayid informed them, rushing over and putting one of Sawyer's arms around his neck as Jack did the same. "We have less than five minutes!"

"How?" Kate gasped, standing, holding Aaron closer to her as he cried through the even louder rumbling.

"This earthquake or whatever it is!" Jack shouted. "COME ON!"

They hurtled through the doorway, over the dead bald man. Satine walked ahead of them, leading them in long strides. Sawyer was still awake, looking around numbly. He could see Satine walking ahead of him and was wondering why both Jack and Sayid were carrying him.

They reached the stairs and scrambled up them and into the hook room. Kate covered Aaron as larger pieces of plaster began to fall. The shaking grew worse and there was the sound of glass breaking, and light bulbs began to pop. Satine strode past many doorways and rooms and finally they reached the lobby and hurried across it. The walls were cracking and bits of the building were falling. There was no sign of anyone as they ran, Sayid and Jack carrying Sawyer between them. Sawyer was losing consciousness fast.

They had almost reached the end when Satine stopped.

Spinning around she faced the hall behind her as they ran past her. Jack had stopped and turned back.

"Satine! Come on!"

But something had happened. Jack suddenly turned and went, heaving Sawyer with Sayid over the threshold of the doorway.

Satine faced the hall and suddenly people were appearing out of the doorways as though to a call. They ignored the falling plaster and there were over two hundred people suddenly flocking towards her. She stood there, her chest heaving as the walls trembled and pipes broke, sending sprays of water into the crowd of people crowding this one hallway as they came from all over the compound. Finally it seemed they were all there.

Turning around Satine walked out. None of them moved. She stepped out into the jungle, seeing Sayid, Jack, Sawyer, and Kate running ahead of her towards John who was carrying Alex.

She waited until they had made it to the clearing and then she stopped, just at the edge of the trees and turned back.

The explosion blew down the trees in almost a mile radius, and the dirt that flew in the air hazed the sky and sun. The explosion rocked the ground and Jack and Sayid dropped Sawyer onto the grass. Kate had bent down, shielding Aaron from the blast. The dust was thick in the air but not much had flown up into it due to the fact that the explosion was underground. But from several placed in the jungle there were sudden bursts of flame and smoke escaping through vents and tubes.

Jack sat up and looked over at Sawyer, who wasn't conscious anymore. Sayid was checking Kate and Aaron.

Standing up, Jack turned and saw Satine standing a few yards away, the haze making her silhouette cloudy. He coughed, walking towards her.

"Satine," he put a hand on her shoulder and she turned around to face him, tears running down her face.

"Save him, Jack," she whispered.

He nodded, turning and running back to Sawyer. He bent beside him and listened. There was a heartbeat.

"Satine I think he's…"

But she was gone.

"Where is she?" Jack shouted to Sayid and Kate. John was approaching them, Alex in his arms.

"Who?" John asked.

"Satine!" replied Jack, looking around. He realized he had to work on Sawyer and bent down. "We need to get him back. I need my supplies."

"Will he make it?" Sayid asked.

"If we run," Jack looked at Kate. "You follow with John. John, can you carry Alex back?'

"Yeah," John looked doubtful. "Um, she doesn't look too…"

"Not now!" Jack bent and they lifted Sawyer the way they had before. "We need to move fast!"

Kate watched them take off, and then stood, holding Aaron. He wasn't crying anymore, just looking around at the haze.

"If Sawyer dies, I'm scared of what Satine might do," Kate whispered to John as he picked up Alex again.

"This is one big mess," John looked down at the girl in his arms and then at Kate. "And all because of that girl."

"She's more than just a girl, John," Kate shook her head as they started off. "You don't know the half of it."

"Then tell me the other half," John asked simply.

Claire looked up. She had been sitting holding Aaron's blanket in her lap in the hatch. It smelled like him. Her tears welled just thinking about it. If she knew she'd never see him again, she didn't know if her heart could take it.

Someone came into the hatch heavily. It was more than one person. She wiped her eyes and stood, not wanting anyone to see her like this.

Jack and Sayid came through the doorway, carrying Sawyer between them. Claire stared with wide eyes.

"Jack," Claire could barely breathe.

"I need my bag," Jack demanded of Sayid. "It's in the bedroom."

"Sayid?" Claire looked at him hopefully but he rushed off. She looked down at Sawyer whose shirt was coated in blood. Jack cut it off him and looked at the wound, pouring water then peroxide on it. "Jack?"

Jack hadn't seemed to hear her. She looked at him, her heart so caught in her throat she didn't know if she could speak.

"Jack?" she said one more time.

"Yeah?" he said, not looking up.

But then he realized who had said his name and looked up at her. For a moment her heart stopped. In her mind he had told her they hadn't found him. She had pictured herself just staring at him for a moment before leaving the hatch and being sick in the jungle. Now she stared at him for real, and she wasn't breathing.

"He's okay," Jack said, giving her a small smile. "Kate's coming, she has him."

Claire put a hand to her mouth and almost lost her balance. She hurried to a chair as Jack grabbed his bag and began working on Sawyer, who was getting paler by the minute. Looking at the hatch doorway Claire's heart seemed to return to a normal beat and she stood and left the hatch, this time not to be sick but to wait for her son.


	74. Chapter 74: Parting of the Ways

"Where is she?"

Jack looked up as Sawyer seemed to be coming to. Jack had barely been able to get open his bag when Sawyer began to move.

"Stop moving. You were shot, you need to lay still," Jack ordered, dumping out his bag in his frustration and finding the gauze. "Sawyer, stop."

"Where is she?" he repeated, his eyes fluttering as he looked around wildly. He was lying on the bottom bunk, the same place he'd lain when he was shot in the shoulder. "Satine."

"I…" Jack realized something. Kate had come back, and was sitting with Claire and Aaron. John was sitting on a stool, his face in his hands. But neither Michael nor Satine had returned. "She's coming."

"Where is she?" he repeated again. Kate had stood up, looking concerned, and come over. She put one hand on Sawyer's arm.

"Is he going to be okay?" she whispered to Jack.

"Find Satine," Jack hissed to her, his hands covered in blood.

"But I don't think…"

"DO IT!"

Kate went to turn around and froze. Walt had come into the hatch, looking around for his father. When he saw Sawyer his eyes went wide.

"Where's my dad?" he asked Kate who was nearest him.

"I have to go," Kate ran past Walt and out the hatch door.

"Sawyer, stop," Jack was getting angry. Sawyer kept losing blood. It was soaking his entire shirt now and Jack's hands were covered in it. "Sawyer please."

"Where is she?" he demanded and then suddenly clenched his teeth in pain, his neck arching back, his spine going stiff.

"Sawyer?" Jack realized he was going into shock. "I need help!"

Locke came quickly over, looking pale.

"What can I do?"

"Hold his arms," Jack ordered, trying desperately to feel the wound and see if it had injured anything inside. "I hope Kate finds Satine."

Kate ran so fast that she barely realized how far she was going. All she knew was that Satine had probably not even come back from where they'd been. Her heart was in her chest. Sawyer was shot, not like last time. This time was worse. She knew Jack was good, but this was something she wasn't sure he could handle. Sawyer had lost so much blood, it made Kate sick to think about it. If Sawyer died, what would Satine do?

"Satine!" Kate screamed, stopping and trying to catch her breath. She was halfway to the valley they'd been in during the explosion. "SATINE!"

Her breath was coming in gasps as she leaned against a tree, trying to scan the trees but the sun was getting low and it was harder to see. In her heart she knew Satine wasn't out here. She didn't think she was dead, but after everything she'd been told she probably wasn't coming back.

Kate stood there for a moment and it really hit her. They were lost here, stranded with no way out. And now Michael was dead, and Walt left alone. Sawyer was dying and Kate didn't know how long Jack could keep him alive. Jack had just lost Ana and Libby. She didn't want to think about how he'd react to losing Sawyer too.

Not being a crier, it surprised Kate when she felt tears on her face. She quickly wiped them away, looking around as though afraid for someone to see her weak. Taking a deep breath she went to walk forward and something hit her hard from the side and she fell over, momentarily blinded.

"Kate?"

Looking up she saw Michael bending over her. He had run out of the jungle and smashed right into her.

"MICHAEL!" she shrieked, standing up and hugging him. For a moment she forgot that he'd murdered Ana and Libby, and sacrificed her for his son. For a moment she was just glad he was alive. "Oh my god, how did you get out?"

"I don't know!" he said breathlessly. "I was knocked out and I woke up in that hallway and people were running around…"

"Have you seen Satine?" Kate panted, interrupting. "Sawyer's hurt."

"Satine?" Michael looked at her. "You mean, she's alive?"

Kate gave him a puzzled look.

"Yes she's alive," she said carefully. "Why?"

"She got me out. I don't know how, but she was there when I woke up and lead me out but when I turned around she had gone back inside just as the explosion happened. There's no way she could…"

"Michael, she was with us. She led us out," Kate said confusedly. "It's impossible…"

"No, it was her. She took my arm and I felt her, and she was there talking to me. She said Walt was the one who told her I was in trouble," he seemed suddenly nervous. "I thought Walt had stayed behind."

"He is. He's back at the hatch," Kate's head was spinning. "Go see him. We all thought you were dead."

"You didn't tell him…"

"No, but I don't know if maybe Jack did," she said quickly. "I need to find Satine."

"Kate, I…"

"I'm glad you're okay," she said, giving him a small smile. "Now go!"

Michael nodded and squeezed her hand before taking off in the direction of the hatch. Kate turned around and screamed, stumbling back.

"Sawyer, come on man," Jack spoke harshly as he sewed several layers into Sawyer's skin. "Talk to me man."

"I won't do it," Sawyer mumbled incoherently. "It's ridiculous."

"What is?" Jack panted, desperate to keep him talking. "What's ridiculous?"

"This con!" Sawyer angrily spat to no one in particular. His eyes were looking at the ceiling. He was delirious from lack of blood. "Damn it! Why'd you shoot me?"

"I'd love to know," sighed Jack, finishing sewing. "Damn."

"What?" Locke came over, seeing Jack's frustration.

"He's lost too much blood," Jack said as Sawyer stopped talking and closed his eyes, breathing lightly. "He won't last long."

"What about what you did with Boone?" Locke said. Jack turned and looked at him sharply.

"We don't know Sawyer's blood type. It's too risky. Plus, I don't think it'd be enough," Jack sat down on a chair beside the bed and looked at his blood soaked hands. "We need to find her."

"Who?" John looked at Sawyer.

"Satine," Jack insisted, getting angry.

He walked from the room and into the main living area. Claire was still there with Aaron and now Charlie sat beside her. Jack began washing off his hands. Walt was sitting on a stool, staring at them.

"Where's my dad?" Walt repeated for the fifth time. No one had answered him or wanted to.

"We don't know," Locke said honestly. "We got separated. It's possible he's finding his own way back."

"You left him out there because of what he did to those two," Walt said, pointing at the blank wall beside him. Jack and Locke both looked and then turned back to Walt, confused. "You left him to die."

"No we didn't," Jack snapped, not having any patience. "We had to get Sawyer back."

"You'll save Sawyer, but you won't save my dad…"

"He killed them!" Jack shouted, causing everyone to go silent and Walt to jump.

"Jack," Locke put a hand on Jack's shoulder, but Jack shoved it away.

"I need to keep an eye on him," with that he disappeared into the bedroom.

"What about Alex?"

Locke turned around to face Walt.

"She's in the other room," Locke said quietly, pointing at the computer room.

"Will she die?" asked Walt simply, showing no signs of anger or hostility, just interest.

"We don't know. Right now, Sawyer is in worse condition."

Walt took Locke's answer and stood, walking into the computer room and taking a seat beside the makeshift bed where Alex lay on the floor.

Kate fell onto her back and scrambled to stand. On the path before her was Alex, wearing the same long gown she'd had on when they carried her back. She was deathly pale and looked dead.

"Alex?" Kate panted, her chest constricting.

Without a word, Alex turned and disappeared into the jungle, to the left of the path. Kate felt like she was going crazy. The sun was almost completely down and it was hard to see now on the path. Maybe she'd seen things.

Going forward she looked into the brush where Alex had walked through. Up ahead was her form, walking easily through the thick brambles and vines. Kate climbed through and fought her way, trying to keep an eye on Alex's misty form and realizing it was almost completely dark now. In her head she knew she was exhausted and probably seeing things. But the form of Alex up ahead seemed so real.

"Alex!" Kate called as she got badly twisted in several thorny vines. "Wait!"

But Alex had kept going. Kate pulled herself out, scratching her arms and cringing in pain.

Finally she fell out onto a clearer path. Looking straight ahead, she saw Alex was gone and in her place was someone sitting on the ground a few feet from a makeshift stick cross that signified that someone had been buried there.

"Satine?" Kate whispered, this part of the jungle strangely silent. Each of her footsteps sounded loud. "Is that you?"

She came around and saw Satine was bruised and dirty. She had a large gash on her forehead, and her right arm looked as though it could be dislocated or broken. Her eyes were rimmed with red and she looked exhausted. Yet she sat there, staring straight at the cross.

"This is where Dominic was buried," Satine whispered as Kate sat down beside her on the dirt. "Alex knew him."

"Did you?" Kate asked softly, feeling as though she was disturbing some kind of peaceful mourning.

"I met him when I was really little. That's my only memory of him," said Satine in a whisper.

"You remember that?"

Satine turned and looked at Kate with pain in her eyes.

"I remember everything now," she said, her voice shaking. "I remember the tests, and my mother sending me away. I remember being here with all the other kids in the compound before it all went bad and they started dying. Everyone died, Kate, and I lived. Why?"

"They said you're stronger," replied Kate, unsure of how to answer that question.

"They lied. They told everyone what they told me. They say I'm the cell, but I'm not, it's Alex. That's why she's dying. They took it from her, everything that kept her strong. Now she's dying," Satine began to cry, not wiping her tears, simply sobbing as she looked at the ground. "All because they wanted me."

"No," Kate wasn't sure how to comfort Satine. She felt awkward. "No, it's not."

"Alex is the cell. And if she dies they'll be even more mad," Satine sniffled and wiped her dirty face.

"They're all dead," reassured Kate, putting an arm around Satine. "We finished it."

"That was only the beginning," Satine looked at Kate and then her eyes grew wide. "Oh my god, Sawyer."

Kate stood up, suddenly scared. How had Satine known she was coming to look for her about Sawyer?

"I thought Jack could fix him," Satine stood up more slowly, cradling her right arm painfully. "But…no."

"You need to come back with me," Kate said shakily, terrified now. "He needs you."

"If I see him like that, if I get too upset…"

"You said Alex was the cell. You didn't cause the place to collapse, did you?" Kate wanted Satine's reassurance that it hadn't been her who had killed all those people. She pleaded with her eyes for it not to be true.

"Alex and I did it together," Satine looked down. "She said it was the only way."

"Okay," Kate came forward. "Well Alex led you here, right?"

"She wanted to say goodbye to Dominic and needed me to do it for her," Satine turned and looked sadly at the grave.

"Well Sawyer needs you," Kate said quickly, trying not to think about the fact that she'd just seen Alex moments ago. "You have to go to him."

Satine's eyes welled again but she nodded and let Kate lead her back.

"John!" Jack screamed from the bedroom.

"Jack! It's Alex," Locke came skidding into the doorway. "I think something's wrong!"

"Well something's wrong with Sawyer!" Jack panted. Sawyer was shaking terribly, and the blood was gushing from the wound that had ripped open again. Jack cursed, the string he'd used not strong enough once it was soaked through.

"What about…"

"I can only do one at a time," Jack shouted, his chest hurting. "I need you to help me!"

John came over and Jack gave him orders. In the computer room, Walt was standing over Alex who was also shaking but was screaming also.

Kate heard Alex screaming first. Satine had stiffened and her pace quickened as she hurried towards the main living area. She heard the screams and raced into the computer room only to see Walt standing over Alex who was writhing.

"Satine?"

Jack had appeared at the doorway, his hands and arms and shirt drenched in blood. Satine suddenly felt very sick and was about to go towards Jack when she heard her name.

Turning around she saw Alex had stopped writhing and was simply trembling, her eyes now open and looking straight at Satine.

"Satine," Alex whispered, her lips blue.

Satine walked closer, her hurt shoulder throbbing and her heart pounding in her throat.

"Thank you," Alex said, looking straight into Satine's soul.

Satine's mind was suddenly filled with memories, emotions, and pictures of Alex's life. She could see Rousseau holding her as a baby and then images of the compound, and small rooms with many beds, and Alex kissing Dominic, and Dominic lying dead and then his grave under the trees in the sunshine. Satine suddenly heard Alex's voice in her head.

"I'm giving you Sawyer," Alex said, her voice strong. "Hold onto him."

If Alex died, Sawyer would live.

The images were ripped from Satine's head and she realized she was on her knees, holding her head with Kate and Walt standing over her.

"Satine?" Kate gripped her shoulders.

"NO!" Satine looked up and saw Alex had stopped moving, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.

Scrambling up Satine raced down the hall and into the bedroom. Jack was working maniacally to get the blood under control. John was trying to help but wasn't doing much but getting in the way.

Slowly Satine walked forward. If Alex had given her Sawyer, why was he still dying?

Satine reached the bed and put a hand to Sawyer's cheek. Jack was panting, sweat dripping from his forehead as he worked frantically. The blood was everywhere, soaked into the bed and all over Jack. Satine reached down and took Sawyer's hand, which was also soaked, and she held it tightly.

"Damn it," Jack sobbed, barely able to control his anger. "GOD DAMN IT!"

Satine closed her eyes.


	75. Chapter 75: What Happens Nextthe end

(flashback)

Satine sat in the lonely room she knew she'd probably die in. It was so white, and so bare. She lay on the bed, her mind whirling. The doctor had only left two minutes ago.

"Satine?"

Jumping up, Satine almost fell over. Scanning the room she didn't see anyone and then suddenly she saw Alex. She was standing by the door, wearing her long gown and looking ghostly.

"Oh my god," Satine put a hand to her mouth. "We all thought you were dead!"

"I have no time to explain," Alex said quietly, her voice seeming to come more from Satine's own head than the room itself. "It's me they wanted, Satine, not you. This is a game. You're not the cell, I am."

"No, they told me what I'm capable of," Satine said quickly, not moving from her spot by the bed.

"Satine, don't you understand? It's been me all along. They used you as a distraction so that no one would figure it out. When they took me from my mother, it was because I was messing up all the work they were doing on this island. When I was born here, everything went haywire. They had to take me and secure me here. They kept me from getting my full strength. Now when I got some of it back, they took me again to weaken me."

"They almost killed you," Satine said, her eyes wide.

"They tried. Anyone else would have died after what they did to me. But don't you see? They wanted everyone, Sawyer, Kate, Jack; to believe that it was you so that they'd concentrate on keeping you safe. You showing up here wasn't an accident. Those memories were planted in your head, and all the evidence was planted too. You were kidnapped, you and your mother. You were about to go on a cruise and instead they took you here. Your mother died on the way, fighting for you. She broke her neck struggling with one of the men. So they gave you a memory of her being shot…"

"STOP!" Satine screeched, backing up. "My mother was shot! She was murdered! You're lying!"

Satine couldn't take this. Why was Alex telling her that everything she'd been told was a lie?

"Half the people here don't know I exist. They all think it's you. This way, certain people can work on me and concentrate on me and keep everyone else busy with news and updates about you. But there is a reason they need you alive," Alex was speaking quickly and all the information seemed to be pouring from her. "You and I are connected, it's how I'm speaking to you, and it's how you knew I was alive after the explosion. They need you because eventually they won't be able to talk to me anymore. They can find out through you whether what they're doing is working."

"They were going to keep me here, just for that?" Satine asked, feeling very sick.

"Yes. I'm so sorry, I know how hard it has to be. I've understood something was different about both of us since we were young. They have been looking for the cell for a very long time. They had narrowed it down to the two of us. Both of us had something no one else here had. They knew that together we were more powerful than alone," Alex looked sadly at Satine. "Do you understand?"

Nodding, Satine wiped her eyes.

"They're going to end up killing me," said Alex simply, and she didn't bat an eye. "And you need to get out. Help will come but when it does, you'll need to take action."

"No one is coming. They think you're dead," Satine said furiously, her head aching from all this.

"Sawyer loves you," Alex gave a small smile. "He won't give up on you."

"We can save you too," Satine said hopefully.

"No. I knew when I was brought back here that I wouldn't leave. When Walt brought me back, I really thought maybe it would be okay. But it wasn't. I had wanted to die and they wouldn't let me. Sometimes I think it's a cruel game," Alex looked away.

"I still don't completely understand," said Satine. "All those times when I was a kid, I remember them now. Why?"

"Being back here jogged your memory, and it's different inside here. It's all coming back to you when it's most important. You'll remember certain aspects of this place, like the boiler room…"

Satine had a flash of a small room with steam rising from many pipes. A large boiler that heated and air-conditioned the entire station was seen rumbling in one corner, and a gouge with a handle was on the front. She pulled herself back to the present and looked at Satine.

"When the time comes you must take action," Alex insisted.

"Are you talking about blowing it up?" Satine said unbelievably. "No! It'll kill us all!"

"You'll know when the time is right," Alex smiled gently.

"So it's always been you," looking sadly at Alex, Satine felt horrible. "They chose you."

"They didn't choose me," Alex seemed close to tears. "They tested us both when we were kids. We both grew up and none of them knew exactly which one of us was the cell. Now they know. They told you that you were to keep you out of the way. If you knew it was me, and that they were trying to kill me, you would have tried to save me. Or you would have told Jack."

"If they wanted to kill you, why couldn't they?" Satine seemed bold about this question.

"I don't know. They did succeed but for some reason brought me back. I think they were testing Walt. See, if I die, Walt is the new one. He's got both your abilities and mine and more. He's something they've been looking for a long time. And I suppose they figured I'd die soon after anyway," Alex seemed uncomfortable.

"I'm so sorry," Satine was crying now. "I wish I could save you."

"Tell Jack thank you for me?" Alex came closer to Satine and they stood only a few feet away from each other. "He's given me more than I can imagine. And my mother…"

Satine looked up into Alex's sad eyes.

"She'll understand," smiling through teary eyes, Alex sighed. "I have to go. They've arrived."

"Who?" Satine said confusedly.

"I know you'll want to stay because I know you believe what they told you, but you have to go. You will know when the time is right," Alex suddenly looked urgent.

"But I am dangerous. You never said I wasn't," Satine insisted, wanting an answer.

"You have the same ability as I do but you put it into love. You used it in a good way. If you ever didn't, it'd be catastrophic. Don't tell anyone what I've told you, okay?"

Alex had turned to leave and Satine ran forward. But Alex spun around to face her.

"If you love him you'll let me go. You love him, right?"

"Sawyer?" Satine said automatically.

"Do you love him?" Alex practically burst.

"YES!" Satine exclaimed, suddenly shaking. "Alex, has something happened to him?"

"When the time is right you'll know!" Alex shouted.

There was a clang and Satine turned around, seeing that the clock on the wall read 8:15. Something wasn't right, she could feel it. That wasn't the real time.

"Alex, I…"

But she was gone.

(end flashback)

Satine was the last person to leave the grave. Everybody had walked away after Jack's short eulogy in front of the group. But she couldn't leave. She knelt on the sand beside the deep grave that she supposed someone would fill in once she had walked away. But it felt so wrong to just walk away without having said anything else.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, holding a handful of sand in her fist and holding it over the hole, letting it filter through her fingers. "I'm so sorry."

Standing she wiped off her pants and just stared down at the wrapped body. Looking up she could see the sun was high in the sky, and it was beautiful on this end of the beach. The waves hit the rocks, splashing into the air and crashing back down. People had gone back to their day, building fires or fixing their tents. Some people were fishing with Jin, who had seemed to have created a fishing class. Far off down the beach, Satine saw Jack standing alone, staring out to see.

She went around the hole and past the others. Libby and Ana's graves were still clearly visible, the dark sand contrasting the light. Satine walked past them and down the beach until she reached Jack.

"Jack," she said softly, looking up at him. "There's something I need to tell you."

He looked down at her and for a moment she was sure it was with warmth rather than sadness. Then it seemed to quickly fade and he simply looked interested.

"I didn't ruin that place by myself," she said, the guilt swimming inside of her. "Alex helped me."

"I didn't think you had," he said quietly, his eyes far off at sea. "You're not the kind of person to sacrifice anybody."

"Sacrifice?" she said confusedly.

"I'm glad you're okay," Jack said, looking at her again with eyes that seemed to carry all the pain in the world. "I'll see you back at the hatch."

He walked away up the beach towards the path, meeting Kate halfway and walking with her out of sight. Satine watched him go with sad admiration. Jack was the hero, the leader, and yet she knew that in his own mind he was nothing but a failure. She wished more than anything she could show him that it wasn't true.

Satine glanced over at her and Sawyer's empty tent that she had roughly fixed. She wasn't tall enough to get it higher, but it would do. Yet she couldn't go in it yet. She just couldn't.

Starting down the path to the hatch, Satine tried to remember her first day here. It had been terrifying, her mind was confused and all she wanted was to find her mother. Now, knowing her mother had died to save her, it made her feel less guilty. The entire thing on the cruise ship never happened, yet she still felt like it had. The small bit of guilt for fighting with her mother right before she died was weighing on her.

Sawyer had always been there. Even when Locke had stranded Satine out in the jungle, Sawyer had rescued her. He'd always been her hero. Closing her eyes as she walked, she wiped the tears spilling from them. He'd never given up on her, and had always followed her no matter where she was taken or went.

That kiss. It would always haunt her, always follow right behind all of her thoughts of him. She didn't regret it, no she savored it. It was probably the one moment where she really knew who he was, beyond the tough skin he showed off.

Reaching the hatch, Satine found it quite empty. It was a hollow emptiness and the memories of Libby and Ana were very prominent inside. All the deaths that had occurred here. Looking over at the kitchen floor, she remembered when they had been so sure Sawyer was dead. They had actually buried him. She shivered, remembering him returning. When she was injured, practically dying he had still fought for her, and so had Jack. Satine had a lot to be thankful for. She'd been shot twice, and even now had never regained her full strength. The scars ran deep but the memories ran deeper.

The hatch held a lot of memories that even though Satine wasn't there for them, she felt them. She could feel the ghosts of the past around her, helping her to realize how lucky she was to be standing here.

Quietly she walked to the side bedroom. It was dark, and the light was off. Flicking on the light, she stared into the empty room with it's empty bottom bunk. The mattress and floor were still stained with blood, blood that Jack could never get under control. The room felt haunted, like at any moment a ghost would pop out of the wall.

Turning off the light she left it and went down into the computer hall. The makeshift bed where Alex had lay was gone. The computer chair sat in front of the blinking screen. There was a beep and Satine jumped.

Walking around the desk she typed in the numbers.

4 8 15 16 23 42.

Hitting execute, the numbers rewound to 108. Satine never questioned those numbers. Perhaps they were safer not questioning them rather than even trying.

Looking up from her place in front of the computer she sighed. She spun around and faced the large computer on the wall, blinking and buzzing with lights and monitors.

"Where have you been?"

Satine spun slowly around on the chair. Standing in the doorway, looking pale and ghostly was Sawyer. For a moment Satine seemed to question this, and raised an eyebrow.

"I've been here," she said, with a smile.

"Have you?" he gave a smirk.

Standing, Satine walked over to Sawyer and stood before him, not touching him. She half expected him to disappear before her eyes. Slowly she reached out and put one hand on his chest. It was there, the soft material of his worn shirt. It was half buttoned revealing a very large bandage across his side. He breathed shallowly, as though afraid to make too much movement.

"You shouldn't be up," Satine said softly, taking his arm. "Come on."

"I was bored," he said as he slowly walked back to the bedroom with her. "Anything new?"

"We buried Alex," Satine said solemnly, flicking on the light in the bedroom and leading him across it. "It was beautiful."

"Was the French lady there?" he asked in all sincerity as he laid back down and gave a sigh.

"Yes," Satine whispered, looking down at her hands. "I think she's going to stick around a while."

"As long as she doesn't kidnap anymore babies I'm fine with that," Sawyer laughed. "Was she upset?"

"I don't know. She never knew her daughter, she met her only like twice. I guess so, but I think she's more sad than upset. Just kind of disappointed that she never really got to know her," Satine sighed, her voice wavering. Sawyer put a hand on her back.

"Sawyer," Satine knew Alex hadn't wanted her to tell, but she felt like she was lying. Sawyer hadn't treated her any different in the past two days, but somehow she knew if she told him who she really was, and what the truth was, she'd feel better. "There's something I need to tell you."

Just then Satine stopped. Standing in the doorway was Walt. He had wandered in and when he saw them talking, excused himself and walked out. Satine remembered what Alex had said about Walt being the new one, the next cell.

Shaking her head she smiled.

"I'm glad you're okay," she said honestly, taking a deep breath.

Later in the afternoon Satine helped Sawyer walked out to the beach. He was tired of being cooped up in the hatch. They reached their tent and sat and Sawyer laughed.

"Nice job," he said, looking at the badly built tent. "Were you blindfolded when you built it?"

"I'm five foot. I tried," she laughed.

They were quiet and for a moment just looked at each other. Then, very slowly, he kissed her again. When they parted, they both smiled.

"That wasn't what you needed to tell me, was it?" he said smartly, giving her a sneer.

She looked down and knew that words didn't need to be exchanged. He put a weak arm around her and for a long time they stayed that way.

Behind them in the brush, there was a slight movement. Satine turned her head and peered into the trees. A white flash of cloth was seen and then disappeared. Turning back around Satine couldn't help but smile, knowing it was going to be okay.

As the sun began to set, Satine stiffened. Slowly she raised her hand and pointed.

"A boat!" she called.

The end

Thank you to everyone who read this story. It was my first Lost fiction ever and I enjoyed writing it immensely. You guys's reviews really kept me going. Look out for a new story by me sometime soon. It'll be very different, most likely a continuation of the finale.

If you have any questions, comments, or just a heylo, you can IM me on AIM at M0b3anz. Or just review here. Thanks again for reading it. Let me know what you thought!


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